The idea of sensory compensation – where remaining senses make up for the loss of another – is a long-standing source of inspiration for both mythology and scientific studies. Now, a technology called ‘Sound of Vision’ combines sensors with sound and tactile feedback to firmly root it in the day-to-day life of visually-impaired people.
The EU-backed SOUND OF VISION (Natural sense of vision through acoustics and haptics) project is all about creating and conveying an auditory representation of the surrounding environment. Composed of 3D cameras and inertial sensors, the device processes data from surrounding objects and feeds it back to the user in the form of spatial sounds and vibration from a wearable belt.
Further details: A vision of sounds for the visually-impaired