DotLumen founder Cornel Amariei describes his product as a “self-driving” system that gives the blind and visually impaired a way to get around. It is essentially a guide dog in electronic form that helps users avoid obstacles when walking. The Romanian company appeared at CES 2025 in Las Vegas armed with prototype headsets that it hopes will make the lives of the blind much easier.
This new headset looks like a bulky piece of VR gear, with a front unit sitting on your forehead just above your eyes. There’s a hefty power and processing package in the back that keeps the weight of the bulky device balanced while you’re walking. On the front, there are six computer vision cameras – three near-field and three further away – that Amariei says were inspired by Tesla’s setup.
Collision avoidance is the main priority here, preventing you from hitting other pedestrians or road obstacles. In front of the headset are a series of small arms that come into contact with your forehead, each attached to a vibrating motor. When the vibrations are in the center of your forehead, it is safe for you to move forward, but when the vibrations move to either side, you should turn to refocus.
There’s also a voice guide, which will let you know when the view ahead is full. Battery life reaches 2.5 hours, which is more than enough for an average ride. But if you need a little extra power, you can plug in a USB-C battery and take it with you.
Amariei said that DotLumen will start selling its headsets in Europe in the near future, with the price expected to be under 10,000 euros. As steep as it sounds, he added that the price tag for training a guide dog is significantly higher.
(via)
Source: myphone.gr
