HAT NAV
Hi-tech headwear warns brittle bone pensioner when traffic and people approach from behind
A DEAF pensioner struggling to leave the house alone in case he wanders into the path of a cyclist or a truck is now striding out with confidence – thanks to his cyber bunnet.
Bobby Pitcairn has had problems hearing dangers for 23 years and his brittle bone disease means hearing aids won’t work.
But the 74-year-old, from Gullane, East Lothian, can now go out for a walk without problems thanks to the hat invented for him after he got in touch with BBC1 technology show The Big Life Fix.
In tonight’s show, he meets software engineer and technologist Akram Hussein, who creates two devices that have changed Bobby’s life.
One is an app-enabled bunnet to help him navigate streets, the second is a home assistant subtitling system for chats in the house.
The hat, known as the Bobby 360, is no traditional bunnet.
A mobile phone lens facing out the back is wired up to image recognition software. It’s connected to a tiny vibrating motor which gives Bobby a light jolt if something moves behind him.
Its owner is a convert. He said: “As I don’t normally wear a cap, I felt like Victor Meldrew.
“That was soon forgotten when I felt the vibrations every time a car, bicycle or pedestrian approached from behind.
“Not only does this make walking much safer, it ensures I am not impeding pedestrians.
“Long term, it will be excellent and I’ll be able to use the device while out alone.”
Bobby also struggles to lip read his wife Linda, 69, and their friends and family.
Retired accounts manager Linda said: “Initially, we attended sign language evening classes. We found it very hard, and as none of our friends and family could sign, use was restricted.
“We found that a combination of lip reading and finger spelling was the most effective way of communication but it’s slow. “I watched the first series and was so impressed that I suggested Bobby should contact Big Life Fix to see if they were aware of any advances in help for deaf people.”
Bobby added: “I hoped simply to have a reliable method for my wife to chat to me, on a one-to-one basis.
“Over the nine years I have been retired, my lip reading skills have reduced, which must be diminishing eye brain coordination.
“I often got the wrong end of the stick on important matters.
“The worst things are being unable to communicate effortlessly with friends and family and feeling I am an imposition on people.
“Also, it puts undue stress on my wife to communicate with organisations on my behalf, such as utilities, insurance and appointments, and I am heavily reliant on her to keep me up to date with conversations in a group.”
To combat this, Akram came up with Bobbycom, an instant subtitling system involving an Alexa-style home assistant and a smart phone app that translates speech to text on a screen.
Crucially, it can differentiate between different people in a group and its sensitivity can be adjusted.
It has made a huge difference to their lives.
Linda said: “The subtitles are excellent.
“Now, at last, I know I can relay important information to Bobby in the certain knowledge that there will be no misunderstandings.
“We use it most days and always for any important or complicated conversations. It wouldn’t yet be practical to use it exclusively and, anyway, Bobby must continue to lip read.” Bobby hopes other people can benefit from both systems in the future. He said: “These devices are helpful already and, in the long term, with continued development, could become essential aids for the deaf.” Akram said: “A lot of the stuff I work in is generally for a mass audience and when you get it working, you rarely get to see how it impacts people on a day to day basis. “This is the first project I’ve ever worked on where I’ve given it to an end user and Bobby has given me feedback and tells me stories of how he uses it. “It’s the best feeling in the world. That’s why I became an engineer and why I build things. “It’s the best thing you can hope for.”
The Big Life Fix is on BBC2 tonight at 8pm.