The new talking obstacle detector "Mini-Radar" is very small and very light, hardly 3 inches height (8 centimeters) and less than 2.5 inches of width (6 centimeters), that is to say smaller than the smallest paquet of cigarettes. Its functions are the detection of the frontal obstacles with spoken messages, a talking light detection, and a function of "Directional stability" which enables you to walk straight.

Just a little higher than half of a ball point pen, this small apparatus concentrates the most recent advanced technologies applied to the detection of the obstacles and the help for displacement.
Carried around the neck or simply fixed at your belt, the Mini-Radar explores the space located in front of you, and announces you immediately by spoken messages in an earphone, any obstacle crossing the field of detection. As reliable as a radar of fishing vessel, that of a dolphin or even that of a bat deprived of vision, the Mini-Radar functions by ultrasounds under all conditions, in full sun, by night, under the rain, and lets nothing pass. Able to detect an object of 1.2 inch (3 millimeters) width at 9 away feet (3 meters), it protects you with spoken advices while enabling you to avoid the many obstacles located rather in height, such as the panels, badly closed shutters, store tentures at middle height, rear view mirrors of truck, buckets of truck or the anti-parking terminals .

How does it works? 
The detection beam is projected on a width of 2 feet (60 centimeters) and on a height of 4 feet (1.2 meter), such a virtual shield positioned to 5 feet (1.5 meters) in front of you.  As soon as an obstacle comes into the ultrasonic beam  the message "Stop" sounds.  When you hear this message, you are assured to bump against an half-way up object if you to continue without changing direction.To avoid it, direct you slightly on the left or on the right. until you heard the message "free Way" signaling you that you are not anymore in danger, and continue your road.  You can then continue again in your thoughts without fearing the error of carelessness that would do you to bump a post, a dustbin or a scooter poorly parked. The "Mini-Radar" takes care for you, you walk peacefully, it speaks to you only when it is necessary, its use is simple, it is immediately effective.
However, attention. This apparatus does not exempt you of white cane.


Which are its other functions?

The distances from the objects.
The Mini-Radar has 2 small buttons for additional functions. By pressing the first one, you may swap to a second speaking mode that says you the distance (in feet unit or in decimeters unit) from the nearest obstacle.  This function enables you to detect an issue  or an open door.  While pressing again on this same button, you return to the normal mode with the messages "Stop" and "free way".

The function "Directional stability", to help you to "hold your cape".
Many times, the people who can see don't understand why blind persons does not walk straight. However, the experience is easy to do, ask them to walk while closing eyes, they will be unable to walk without going a little on the right or on the left. This problem shows how much the vision is important to manage a trajectory.
In spite of the mobility courses, the blind persons don't always succeed to walk along a line in the medium of a sidewalk, nor to cross a street to reach exactly the opposite side. We therefore conceived the function  "Directional stability" to help you to walk right.
How does it function?
The "Directional stability" is a function which speaks you only if you deviate of the trajectory during walk, i.e. that it does not speak you if you keep exactly your direction. If you deviate towards the right or the left for a minimal value, the system says it to you by giving you your angle compared to North.  For example, let's suppose that you walk on the sidewalk. At start time, the Mini-Radar gives you your position compared to north, i.e. 100 degrees, you thus hear the message "Cape 100".  If you walk straight i.e. without modifying your direction, you do not understand any message. If you hear the message "Cape 90", it means that you have just deviated towards the left, and if you hear the message "Cape 110", it's because you deviated towards the right. The number grows or decrease, downwards for the left and upwards for the right. You can tune the sensibility of this function from 5 to 20 degrees. This option, of course, was not imagined by seeing persons. It was proposed, imagined and validated by complete blind persons, we are only the ingeneers and the manufacturer. "Directional stability" is particularly useful to go in the medium of a sidewalk, and to cross in straight line. It is a trajectory regulator, while being even a compass since the numbers spoken in the messages are in fact the angle compared to the Magnetic north. The initiators of this option even make use of it to be directed.  This function is optional on the Mini-Radar.


The detection of light by spoken messages.
The second small button allows you to know by spoken messages if it's the daylight, it's the dark, or if a light is in sight.  Very useful to find an exit in a building corridor, this function also enables you for to locate a lamp remained lighted somewhere at your home.


The speaking compass with 8 sectors. 
Created since several years on our preceding apparatuses at the request of the users, we have also allowed on the Mini-Radar this option which knows its devotees. By pressing on a button, you can hear the direction towards which you are directed, i.e. North, the North-East, East, South-eastern, Southern, South-western, Western, or North-western.  This function is optional on the Mini-Radar.

The GPS "Petit-Poucet".
The GPS "Petit-Poucet" system is an optional function of the obstacle detector. When this function is added to the Mini-Radar, its box is slightly higher, 4.8 inches high (12 centimeters) instead of 3.2 inches (8 centimeters).
The GPS "Petit-Poucet" allows you to record a specific course with a high accuracy, possibly with help of a seeing person, and once done, it allows you to be guided by spoken messages on this same course in any sense and as many times you want, without any human help. Into town, if you have first recorded your path by using crosswalks and by choosing the best sidewalk at the best place,  the GPS "Petit Poucet" will guide you to pass exactly by the same places. Out of cities, as in the countryside or in forest for example, the "Petit-Poucet" enables you to walk freely while it memorizes your path with an accuracy of 7 feet (2 meters).  When you want to return, you select the mode "guiding" on this same course, and it takes back you at home. In pedestrian mode, you can record many paths on 2,174 miles with one point every 7 feet. You can install a vocal landmark at any point of the course, and this message will sound each time you will pass at this same point.
The guiding system "Petit-Poucet" is an optional function of the Mini-Radar.

How does it works?
Let's suppose that you want to be able to go by yourself very often to a precise destination, and to come-back. For the first time you have to record the exact path in the GPS, with the help of a seeing person. Start the "Petit-Poucet", choose the mode "Recording" and go-on. The system puts in its memory each point of your walk every 2 meters. Once arrived to the destination, stop the mode " recording", the path is definitely stored and you will be able to redo it in any sense by yourself without help of any person. For that, start the "Petit-Poucet", choose the "guiding" mode, choose the path among those already recorded, choose the sense go-on or go-back, and you can go. You will be guided to redo this path under spoken advices like "Towards the left", "toward the right", "U-turn" or "go-straight". The system will guide you to pass exactly by the same points that those memorized. During your walk, you can obtain many informations such as the time, time spent, the distance covered, the remaining distance, your speed, your direction, the altitude or even the date.  A mode "step to step" enables you to listen to the detail of a course without having to do it..



THE PRICES:

The talking obstacle detector "Mini-Radar" with detection of light:  290 US$ (all charges included)

The options: 
The function "Directional stability" (to hold your cape)  :               150 US$
The talking compass with 8 sectors:                                          150 US$
The GPS "Petit-Poucet" 2,174 Miles (3500 km)                          580 US$

BESTPLUTON is  a research center dedicated to board equipment, embedded electronics and products for visual impaired persons.