After a discussion of the required characteristics of an ideal aid, four electronic mobility guidance devices–the Mowat Sonar Sensor, the Russell E Model Pathsounder, the Bionic C-5 Laser Cane, and the Mark II Binaural Sensory Aid-are described in detail. Training in the use of these secondary devices is based on a high level of skill with the long cane or the dog guide. Intensive training in a broad variety of settings and under varying conditions is necessary if the devices are to be a genuine help to the user. The experiences of two users in snowy weather are recounted.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Advisory Panel for Evaluation of the Laser Cane.A preliminary evaluation of the Bionic Instruments-Veterans Administration C-4 Laser Cane.Washington, D.C.: Subcommittee on Sensory Aids, Committee on Prosthetics Research and Development, National Academy of Sciences, 1974.
2.
BenjaminJ. M.The new C-5 Laser Cane for the blind. In JacksonJ. S. (Ed.), Proceedings of the 1973 Carnahan Conference on Electronic Prosthetics.Lexington, Ky.: Office of Research & Engineering Services, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky, 1973.
3.
BenjaminJ. M.A review of the Veterans Administration Blind Guidance Project.Bulletin of Prosthetic Research, BPR 10-9, VA, 1968, 639.
4.
CranbergL.Sensory aid for the blind.Electronics, March 1946, p. 116.
5.
FriebergerH.Mobility. In Prosthetic aids for the blind. Symposium presented at the 78th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, Dallas, September 16-20, 1973.
6.
KayL.Sonic glasses for the blind—a progress report.American Foundation for the Blind Research Bulletin, 1973, 25, 25–58.
7.
KayL.Ultrasonic mobility aids for the blind.Proceedings of the Rotterdam Mobility Research Conference.New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1965.
8.
KayL.Ultrasonic spectacles for the blind. In DuftonR. (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Sensory Devices for the Blind.London: St. Dunstan's, 1967.
9.
MiyagawaS. H.My experiences with the Laser Cane.New Outlook for the Blind, 1974, 68, 404–407.
10.
NyeP. W., and BlissJ. C.Sensory aids for the blind: A challenging problem with lessons for the future.Proceedings of the IEEE, 1970, 58, 1878–1898.
11.
RussellL.Operating instructions for the E Model Pathsounders.Cambridge, Mass.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sensory Aids Evaluation and Development Center, 1974.
12.
RussellL.Pathsounder instructor's handbook.Cambridge, Mass.: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sensory Aids Evaluation and Development Center, 1969.
13.
RussellL.Travel Pathsounder.Proceedings of the Rotterdam Mobility Research Conference.New York: American Foundation for the Blind, 1965.
14.
RussellL.Travel Pathsounder—further results. In DuftonR. (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Sensory Devices for the Blind.London: St. Dunstan's, 1967.
15.
ThorntonW.Four years’ use of the binaural sensory aid.New Outlook for the Blind, 1975, 69, 7–10.
