In a groundbreaking development, the world of assistive technology has been revolutionized with the introduction of SuperBrain 1, a device that reinvents the concept of sight for the blind and visually impaired. This innovative device, powered by Haptic Materialā¢ and proprietary AI 3D scanning technology, enables blind individuals to experience their surroundings through a newly developed sense of touch, effectively allowing them to "see" without the use of their eyes.
The Technology Behind SuperBrain 1
SuperBrain 1 operates by scanning the surrounding environment with extreme precision, capturing detailed and high-resolution images. This information is then translated into tactile feedback through Haptic Materialā¢, creating a mental image for the user. This advanced technology not only improves situational awareness but also facilitates real-time perception of objects, motion, speed, and distance.
Key features of SuperBrain 1 include:
- Remote Sense of Touchā¢: A head-held device that provides a new way to perceive the environment.
- EHR (Extreme High Resolution) Tactile Feedback: Converts visual information into touch-based feedback.
- Proprietary AI 3D Scanning: Captures the world in detail, offering unprecedented resolution and accuracy.
- Ease of Use: Less than five minutes to adapt and start experiencing the new sense.
- Long Battery Life: Three hours of continuous usage with only one hour needed for a full charge via USB-C.
- Safe and Comfortable: Made with anti-allergy materials and high-quality flexible fabric for all skin-contact areas.
Benefits and Impact
SuperBrain 1 offers transformative benefits for the visually impaired:
- Improved Mobility and Safety: Users can navigate their environment more freely and safely.
- Enhanced Daily Functionality: Activities that were once challenging or impossible are now accessible.
- Emotional and Psychological Impact: The ability to perceive the surroundings in real-time brings a newfound sense of independence and confidence.
According to Jakob Rosin, Chairman of the Estonian Blind Union, who has been fully blind since the age of 13, āThis will change everything. Once I was blind, now I can see.ā
The Science Behind the Sense
Haptic technology leverages the brain's ability to interpret tactile feedback as a form of sight. This approach eliminates the need for invasive procedures or preparatory steps, making it an accessible solution for users. The haptic feedback serves as a "display to the brain," akin to how LCD screens revolutionized electronic devices, opening a new frontier in man-machine interfaces.
The development and implementation of this technology have been supported by partnerships with various organizations, including the European Blind Union, La Fondation Letzebuerger Blannevereenegung, and the Eikholt Foundation, ensuring that the device meets the diverse needs of its users.
Conclusion
SuperBrain 1 represents a monumental leap in assistive technology, offering a life-changing solution for the visually impaired. By transforming physical space into a tactile experience, this device provides a new sense of freedom and independence, making the world more accessible than ever before.
To learn more about SuperBrain 1 and the technology behind it, explore 7sense:
Comments
It's a hat!
A head-held device no less. I am told this is not a joke. Make your own mind up.
As always this post was created using a combination of artifical and oganic intelligence.
No words
I have serious doubts about this. Not that it doesn't exist but that anyone would use it. Certainly not for me.
Age
Thinking about some of this stuff maybe I'm just to old for it. Now in my mid 50s some of this stuff just seems to off the wall for me.
You and me both!
I'm 55, this is way to weird for me and I've bought a Glide!
Well
I'm 54 and I've bought the glide as well lol.
I'm an idiot in the wind
This sounds like a variation on the BrainPort, just different in where they stick the tactile doohickeys. I don't know how it would work out for blind people who don't have tactile to visual translation going on in their head. However, plenty of people who didn't have that used Optacons back in the day, and they're slightly similar in concept, if I understand it correctly.
Tactile to visual translation
As I understand it, tactile to visual translation is more like a learned thing. Brain adapts to it once we start using it. And more brain space is allocated to it. more reading on this by going into the keyword brain plasticity.
That aside, this is exciting. Like someone said above, this is a natural progression from optacon to brain port, to this. And this is the right time since AI can now help do the processing to an extend, thus regulating the amound of information conveyed, making sure that the sensations aren't overwhelming or so crowded so as not to make sense.
Re: Tactile to visual translation
There are some members here who do not have anything visual in their mind. I don't know how to think about how those members would experience the output of this device. I enjoy and value the discussions between us on that subject. There are other members who have said they have tactile sense issues. That one, I can understand how this might be an issue with this device.
visual perception
Well, being someone who was born blind, the way I perceive, say, a shape is by the sense of touch. When someone says the word "circle", the impression that comes to my mind is that of the touched shape of a circle. even the whole idea of space for me is conveyed through impressions of touch. If there were ways of conveying more complex shapes to me by way of tactile or haptic feedback, I imagine those would've made sense to me. Even the whole idea of vision itself is somewat like this only I suppose. I mean, it's all about the impressions that the brain gets and how it decides to perceive those impressions.
There was some research recently
that showed people's brains did change when they learnt and practiced sonic navigation techniques. I think it was the University of Newcastle if you want to google it.
Re: visual perception and There was some research recently
I suppose it's the part of the title, "Enhancing Vision Through Remote Sense of Touch," that made me curious.
I would be utterly shocked if learning and practicing sonic navigation didn't change a person's brain.
Odd man out
So, am I the only one here that is actually interested in how this thing develops?
I'm still not convinced
it isn't a joke.
Re:Odd man out
I was interested, but I can't get any of the links or videos on their site to work. I don't even know what body parts they're putting haptic material on. If it's a hat, some of us live in cultures where most men are expected to remove hats and head coverings indoors. And as I've said before, one is only asked to remove one's glasses--if that's the form factor--before being punched in the face...
So how does this actually work?
I didn't see any description on their site about how the device works and is used. Is this a haptic touch screen or a set of gloves that convey the tactile sense?
How does the tactile sensing deal with objects at different distances, different colors or brightness, etc.?
What kind of resolution can a person sense and how does that compare to the resolution and detail associated with objects, textures, and items at different distances also providing feedback?
Sounds impossible.
Would be interesting to hear some feedback from real users.
--Pete
Not impossible
No, not as such. Already there were devices like the brainport, which was at a time when both digital camera and computer vision technologies were at their infancy. and biologically, some parts of our skin have more nerve endings than the retina. The rest of the heavy lifting is done by the brain anyway. It's just the matter of teaching the brain to do that heavy lifting, if all the external stuff come together. Having said that, that teaching part ain't gonna be easy for anyone.
Re: how does this actually work?
"The patented Haptic Materialā¢ translates the physical environment into high-resolution physical touch feelings on the forehead. This provides situational awareness and recognition about surrounding objects, motion, speed and distance without the need for eyes or ears. We refer to this as āTelehaptic Visionā"
https://www.youtube.com/@SeventhSenseTech/videos
This is their youtube channel; some of the videos do seem not to play but that could just be me.
And interesting point, they do seem to imply that this is not just a blindness product, but also a product for blindness with hearing loss, of which many are not around.
The videos do play but...
Guess what guys? The videos do play, there's just no damn audio!
This has a blind person on the team and yet they didn't check for audio? or perhaps they didn't care, I don't know.
I do know that their links do nothing when pressed... Sometimes this world just confuses me, why have a blind lead and make such obvious mistakes?
This is one of those things I'd checked out but then put back.
Forehead Electro-tactile Display for Vision Substitution
This remind me of the Forehead Electro-tactile Display for Vision Substitution project. One whitepaper on it is here:
https://www.tachilab.org/content/files/publication/ic/kajimoto2006EuroHaptics.pdf
The Brainport kind of is the same but they use the tongue for reasons I never understood. Believe it or not, and I realzie I'm some random guy on the internet, I got to try a prototype of this forehead tactile device around 2006. It was fascinating. When I walked around with it and approached a doorway for example, I could feel two vertical lines indicating the door frame. And as I moved back and fourth to center myself the lines moved. I never heard what happened to the project. Perhaps it ran out of funding or the regulating agencies never approved the electrode array thing. I used it for only maybe 5 minutes, hard to say what long term use would do to the skin.
So if I understand this latest thing it is trying to convey the tactile by shape shifting a material? I'd have questions about reliability, but could see why it may be preferable to direct electric stimulations. I do know from firsthand experience if they could do it the information received tactilely can be useful. I've never gotten to meet a BrainPort user but they may be interesting to interview to see how useful the extra sense as it were, is.
Not for me
I am someone who has no to little concept of my body in relation to space, and struggle with spatial concepts in general, so I think this would be an absolute and complete miss for me. More tools for people to navigate and gain more knowledge/confidence within their worlds can only be a good thing, though! What doesn't work for one will likely work for others.
Very interesting.
Very interesting.
Tongue to Forehead
Look, I'm having difficulty writing this in a way that will be properly construed... You can feel what you're looking at just as well, if not better, with your tongue as your fingers, and lips are in the same realm of sensitivity, assuming you don't have some sort of nerve issue. I'm sure the forehead is pretty good for looking at things, and has much more area, so larger views are possible. Long ago, the back or upper chest were being considered, from what I was told at the time, but none of this haptic stuff existed in that ancient era. It was all vibrating pins and heavy apparatuses, and those horrible Ni-Cad batteries.
I, personally, would rather not have something covering my forehead, and am a little more comfortable with the oral retainer type of interface. I had to wear the retainers for a time after having dental braces. They could probably have audio conduction also, but the battery life might be limited. When will they come up with a way to power things from your body...?