A hat that uses integrated ultrasonic sensors and pressure pads to supply information to the wearer on the proximity of walls, passages and objects could help visually impaired people orient themselves in rooms and firemen find their way around in buildings filled with smoke.

Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in Germany, developed the headwear, which uses six "modules" accommodating ultrasonic sensors that measure space in all horizontal directions over a range from a few centimeters to several meters. The modules, 25 cm² in dimension, take up to 50 measurements per second and are integrated with pads that apply pressure on the head of the user that increases with decreasing distance to an obstacle to help the user avoid collisions.

The hat uses ultrasonic sensors and pressure pads to supply information on the proximity of objects. Image credit: KIT.The hat uses ultrasonic sensors and pressure pads to supply information on the proximity of objects. Image credit: KIT.“Sensations are enhanced by the proximity hat. It is not only possible to see a space or to hear how it sounds in it. Now, space can also be felt,” says Matthias Berning, a staff member of KIT's Chair for Pervasive Computing Systems, who supervised the research.

According to the researchers, receiving information via pressure has the advantage over other methods of leaving the other senses unaffected. Transmitting information by sound or vibration is often found to be uncomfortable, confusing or straining.

“So far, seeing and hearing have been the focus for transmitting digitally measured information to users," says Professor Michael Beigl, head of KIT's Chair for Pervasive Computing Systems. "Work on the proximity hat shows that information can also be transmitted by pressure.”

Beigl says that the technology may apply in other areas—for example, using sensors to perceive air pollution. For now, the KIT researchers will work to develop digital products and services to reduce barriers for people with visual handicaps.

To contact the author of this article, email GlobalSpeceditors@globalspec.com