Guide dogs for the visually impaired may soon be lacking in employment opportunities with the advent of a handheld navigation device designed by a student at Loughborough University, U.K. The prototype portable unit, inspired by virtual reality gaming consoles and autonomous vehicle technology, guides users through varied environments with minimal input and without the expense and responsibilities associated with canine care.

Equipped with lidar and a control moment gyroscope, Theia — named for the goddess of sight from Greek The handheld device guides users through outdoor environments with little user input. Source: Loughborough Universitymythology — is activated by voice commands. Cameras capture 3D images of the user’s surroundings as traffic patterns, weather and other real-time data available online are analyzed. The on-board processors determine the optimal path to the desired destination and generate directional commands that are communicated by moving the user’s hands via gyroscopic force feedback mechanisms.

The walker is safely pulled in the right direction at the pace of an average pedestrian. The current prototype is prone to excessive vibration and motor failure, but future iterations of Theia are expected to improve the safe mobility of the visually impaired by assisting in the navigation of elevators, stairs and shops, and by including a fail-safe procedure for high-risk scenarios, such as crossing busy intersections.