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
@brian.
Oh god, no. A glide cane would be bought in a second by me but WeWalk? No thank you.
Re: Why buttons
I think a steering wheel would have two issues: one more mechanical complexity. and second and more critically, you're trying to read Glide's movement and if the handle turned in both directions whom starts to read who?
@mr grieves.
I believe you might be right, you should be able to tell it to find the corner and it will do it, otherwise from my understanding; it will keep wanting to go straight and that wouldn't be good for me as there's a road there.
Maybe I'm just really really used to the cane.
Either way, when I get it, I'll probably right a rightup, I know i said I would but I'm not sure at the moment, we'll see.
Not really
In a car the wheels turn when you turn the steering wheel. The driver keeps an eye on the road. Why couldn't this be the same as glide keeps an eye out the wheels turn. Doesn't need to be a full handle turn Not sure how you could make it work but it would be more natural.
Re: driveways
I think I am beginning to understand the problem - thinking about where I might want to walk, I would go past a number of driveways with dropped kerbs, then eventually turn right up a road and loop round. So I guess the question is whether Glide would be able to differentiate between the road going round and someone's driveway. Or whether it would just keep me walking indefinitely.
The allure of Glide, to some extent, is that it feels like something you should be able to just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. I suspect the reality is that, at least in the short term, it is going to require its own set of O&M skills.
One of the reasons I'm not that interested in a demo is it feels like this is going to be something that takes a while to master, and probably even a long session is unlikely to provide enough time to realistically figure it all out.
Personally I almost never go out walking on my own, so I hope this might give me more confidence to do that, and part of that is the hope that it won't guide me into people's driveways.
There is a lot to be said about the form factor of the WeWalk - that it adds to the information you get without changing the fundamentals. I still suspect that it will only be once Glide moves beyond the freeform mode that it will really start to shine.
couldn't go to waterloo!
after the big build-up....Bingo's services were required to teach administrative law owing to the absence of a colleague. Very disappointing as I'd have liked to have made my way to the Crispy Cream Doughnut shop meeting point at Waterloo and given Glide a spin. I did wonder whether the choice of meeting point was by chance, incidentally. I mean, there are plenty of other places to meet at Waterloo, many of them easier to find than that particular confectionery outlet. I did advise the gliders in advance before any of you chaps get on my case...I hope they get time to enjoy a doughnut or two. Serves you right, Bingo, for your being parsimonious with your annual leave allowance and not booking the afternoon officially orf. If that's what you're thinking, you have a point - the Bingo reputation for judiciously husbanding annual leave is legendary but sometimes, it backfires. Right ho, off to teach.
@mr grieves
It's honestly not hard to use, it feels a bit off for me but it's as simple as hold handle, push device in front of you.
@bingo
AH, ok. Perhaps you'll get to try it some time this year.
Brad's comments
Given that I didn't see the bleeder in the end, I'm nonetheless replying as one was anticipated. Doesn't look like you got a terribly authentic experience. So seeing it in Paddington was better than nothing, but still not great. that comes as no surprise - there are no driveways in Paddington or, for that matter, waterloo. I think the point you make about cane users is right on the money, to be honest. There are so many things on which I rely using my cane and I struggle to see how they would be integrated into my getting around experience with Glide. I have no canine companion, although I did once own a Keynote Companion during the first couple of years of my Oxford degree and I thought that was great...but I digress. I have no canine companion, I say, but I know enough from those who do that the getting around experience is, as I see it, considerably different. I can see Glide's taking quite a considerable adjustment for us cane users, perhaps to the extent of a fair amount of human intervention through mobility training. Had I gone to Waterloo, I would have asked them if they wanted to take the short walk to my office and back - a route I at least know very well - though I'm not sanguine they'd have been agreeable. brad certainly wouldn't have been, for there would have been naught to eat at the law school.
@bingo little.
Oh no, I'd say it was authentic, I would have prefered them to go on the street but it is what it is.
It's a bit odd though; you're just pushing this device in front of you, with one hand, and this small handle, I'm sorry to say I can't really describe why it feels wrong to me, it just does.
I'm going to try it once its out and hope that with maps comes a better experience.
I don't think I'm going to do a rightup, simply because this is one of those things where you have to truely experience it to get an understanding of how it feels.
Do a write-up anyway
Ultimately, subjectivity is the defining factor in most of these capers - my aforesaid remarks about the Keynote companion are laced with subjectivity. Doesn't mean to say that your own subjective opinion doesn't count as useful and important evidence.
I really don't think a writeup would be worth it.
Because i'd probably right something like, I used it, it works but isn't for me or is for me.
I didn't go through all comments, but here's the latest video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5vp8H7UeJY
While watching this, a sad thought came to mind.
Even though Glide promices to be a next gen Mobility aid, our 1 hand is still going to be occupied while we are walking down the road.
I understand we need the feel of the slopes and dips and stairs in front, but, can't we figure out a way to hook/clip glide's handle in our belt or something? With a normal cane, this wouldn't work as cane would simply go left/right on it's own if no directional control is maintained. However, with Glide, if it's maintaining directional control on it's own, why not just clip it to our belt or thyes, and it will go forward as we walk forward. I would really like to have my both hands free while walking out and about.
Again, a stick coming out of your belt buckle might look funny, and if it bumps in to something, there can be pain at very inappropriate place. 😀 So may be we clip it to our thyes. Keep it away from delicate parts. 🥺
No Hands
I understand your point. Hands free would sure help at times. Speaking for myself, I see the challenge of fastening it on is reading the direction it wants to go. The waist is not as sensitive as the hand, and the user is likely to be anywhere from 15 to 30 times larger in mass than little Glide. The effect of which is my motion and momentum would override Glide.
Perhaps once everything else is ironed out, we can work on attachments for Glide, like a basket? For now I'll be pleased to have an autonomous Glide.