So the glide team sent out an email the other day stating that they’ve reached Alpha 2.0. And somehow this thing is supposed to release in 2025? I doubt it. Also, is there a reason why this thing isn’t being shown out in the street? Every demo has pretty much been a safe controlled environment. Why isn’t it being shown in the street with other pedestrians? Why does it show working crossing the street with cars? Why aren’t they showing us their progress? And then every video they release is people getting interviewed saying this thing is amazing. It’s wonderful. There’s nothing like it in the world. I’m getting really frustrated by the marketing to me. I need real evidence that this thing can actually work in a crowded street with other people.
Comments
@bingo, ah, british humour...
@ash rein, I don't think they were real videos, I think they were more like what glide could be, I could be rong on that though but my understanding is that those were fake what if cenarios.
After all; they're now testing it in real life spaces, they weren't doing that before.
I do think glide could have made that a bit clearer in their first set of videos. Then again; maybe they did and I've just forgottten as they're quite old by now.
Not every staircase has rails
A restaurant I went to just outside of Boston had a group of steps that were completely uneven. No rail to be found. Very old-school kind of building. It was kind of like walking up steps carved on the side of a mountain. One step was two or 3 inches then the next step was 6 inches. Then the third step was couple of inches. And they were random. There is no real consistency to it. That is generally gonna be a rare thing. But even cited people have issues with that stuff.
In truth, I’m not messing with this thing for the next five or six years anyway. My dog is still young. I’m more curious about seeing it in action than I am actually wanting to use it. If I ever were to get it, it would be second or third generation. And I wonder if at that point, I might get my site back (at least some of it). There are some very promising gene therapies. One that has specifically caught my eye is called MCO 010.
It’s very late stage trials at this point and showing a lot of promise. I think it’s actually going up for FDA approval soon.
Beyond that, the idea of replacing the eye seems very possible. And, there’s some promise with gold being used to essentially replace retinal cells. No matter what, it’s going to be interesting the next 5 to 10 years. So, wonderful that glide is coming out. Hopefully it’s very successful. And other things are seemingly very close by too.
Not to beat a dead horse, but…
After reading through the majority of these posts, I have to say that I think I would rather just stick with a Seeing Eye Dog. Far more adaptable, more enjoyable, and far less having to worry about what latest features my guide dog has.
I mean seriously, every post I see about this device ends up being about what features should come with it, versus what features will be added later.
I feel as though people are forgetting what this device is supposed to be meant for, and our seeing it as just another gadget to collect, just 'cause…
Time to Launch for Hardware Products
For the bleep posters here who think Glide is behind schedule, perhaps a bit of perspective would be helpful. Many of these products launched with vaporware promises, rumors, secrets, disappointments and bleep posting sceptics who think they know everything about product development.
Apple iPhone
Tesla Model S
Sony PlayStation
Nintendo Wii
Microsoft Xbox
Amazon Kindle
GoPro Hero
Oculus Rift
Fitbit
DJI Phantom
These timelines can vary based on numerous factors, including funding, technological challenges, and market conditions.
@Brian
Another gadget to collect? You could be right. I'll let you know after my own Battle of waterloo. Meanwhile, I had the same conversation with someone about a bread machine the other day. what's the bleedin' point, eh? This chap told me his bread machine was amazing as it had authentic kneading plates. I've got those too, they're called hands! He then told me he only uses the bread machine to mix the dough...why? Just use a food processor in that case! We can all fall victim to the gadget collection fad. Having said all of that, my recent trip to Italy has left me thinking about purchasing a pasta machine. I wonder what Glide would have to say about that?
I did watch some of those older videos. Most importantly, amos gets a refreshing smoothy...please! rather cringeworthy, I thought. I noted also thaqt the videos focused heavily on an environment laid out in blocks, which is the case with most North american cities. European cities, including London, are not laid out in blocks. They're far more confusing. So let's see how it does in what's arguably a more challenging context.
Curious myself
Where I live in the UK we have for some reason only known to the council pavements that curve round at crossings. So not a strict on/off thing you have to follow it round until you come to the crossing even though the road is maybe 5m away from the crossing due to the curve. Be interesting to see if Glide takes you to the crossing or seeing the road just crosses you over there.
Roundabout
In the U.S. there are places with the classic block (grid) layout. But many newer areas no. I already mentioned to them in one of their first public surveys to consider cul-de-sacs and even worse, roundabouts with no markings or sidewalks which is the norm where I live.
@Brian
Part of me wants to make a comment about a guide dog being much heavier to lift up and carry when going up stairs, but I assume the humor would fall flat for some.
The odd stairs Ash Rein describes reminds me of some of the natural landscape where I grew up, where ancient sedimentary layers formed hills and sometimes small mountains.
@Travis
That's interesting regarding newer areas. Over here, the received wisdom is that if you could demolish everything in europe and start again, blocks would be the way to go. european cities are as they are because in most cases they have grown up from the medieval or earlier streets and settlements. The walk from Waterloo to my office is quite straightforward but there are more difficult environments round that area. I'm thinking of an area known as the Cup, for example, which I think will be an interesting one for glide to take on. The route to the posh cake shop which also does hot meals and where you can pay £12 for a slice of Victoria Sponge, if you wish, is also a really weird one which is about as far from blocks as you can get.
One other thing: they'll need to localise the english if they want me to buy it. I'll have pavements rather than sidewalks and pedestrian crossings rather than crosswalks (is that what it means by a crosswalk?).
And, to be clear,I am very glad that amos got his smoothy. He must have needed it especially as, judging by the echo on one of the other videos that has audio from inside his house, he lives in something like a cathedral.
Watching from the sidelines
I'm kind of in the same mindset, except for the sarcasm regarding backers as I would be likely to invest in something like this if I could actually experience it, though I live in Portugal and don't think I've heard anything about any product demos from our blind association yet, so I will reserve my judgment and money until they either make a demo in Lisbon that I can attend or the final product comes out. Personally I feel pretty excited about this product, because in my opinion even a subset of the advertised features has the potential to be life changing for me, so if a demo manages to convince me I won't really mind gambling on it. Sure there are going to be disadvantages and I will have to adapt in some ways, like entering and exiting trains, handling it in crowded public transportation, and even storing in a vehicle's trunk, but the quality of life navigation improvements can potentially make these issues at least tolerable for me.