YES, SUPERHERO ROBOTS DO EXIST
THE PARALYMPICS KICK OFF NEXT WEEK – SIGNALLING THE TRIUMPH OF SPIRIT OVER DISABILITY. TECH TOO HAS JOINED THE RACE. LUCY HEDGES INVESTIGATES
ANEW revolution is here. From voice-activated cars to virtual guide dogs and hearing aids that tap into the human brain, a raft of breakthrough devices are set to transform the lives of over one billion people around the world who have impaired hearing, visual, speech or mobility problems. Ultimately, even the effects of ageing could be conquered by sci-fi-style breakthroughs.
VIRTUAL GUIDE DOG
Give the dog a rest – because Intel’s AI-powered, voice-activated backpack for the blind and partially-sighted uses a 4K spatial camera with an AI processor to capture distances as well as colour images, with Intel tech for image processing. In-built GPS detects, navigates and informs users about signs, pavements and other obstacles, with warnings fed into a Bluetooth earpiece. Clever, huh!
APH’s Mantis Q40 (£2,595, store.humanware.com), meanwhile, is a refreshable 40-cell braille display with a keyboard and here’s the really cool bit – type and it speaks descriptions aloud.
Not to be left out, The Royal National Institute of Blind People has launched an accessible DAB+/FM radio (£99.99, shop.rnib.org. uk), with clear voice prompts to guide users through functions. A USB port provides access to RNIB’s Talking Books service and it links with Alexa for audiobook access.
HEAR THIS
The Oticon More (from £1,650, oticon.co.uk) is the first hearing aid built with an on-board deep neural network. It can process speech in noisy places more like the human brain. It’s been trained on 12 million real-life sounds to give the brain more of the information it needs to better understand speech. The new MyMusic feature amplifies music whether streaming or at a gig.
Cool hearing aids that double as in-ear buds? Signia’s Active (from £999, active.signiahearing.co.uk) take on the guise of a pair of true wireless in-ear buds, shrinking the distinction between wireless earphones and hearing aids to match the style of younger wearers. With music streaming via Bluetooth, excellent 26-hour battery life and volume controls customised to each user’s hearing profile, these ‘hearing buds’ are controlled via an app and even take phone calls.
Meanwhile, Bose’s recently ntly launched and first-ever SoundControl (£618, bose. com) hearing aids leave audio adjustments to the user.
GET MOVING
Arrow unveiled its SAM Suit exoskeleton at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed Future Lab. Designed ned specifically for paralysed d racing driver Sam Schmidt, this semi-autonomous suit boasts modifications that provide stability all the way up to Schmidt’s neck. Sensors at his feet detect his stride and control his speed, allowing him to walk at a steady pace with an assistant.
Equally impressive is the SAM Car, a modified 2020 Corvette that Schmidt can operate independently using head controls and voice commands. Lastly, a new robotic glove from BioLiberty uses artificial intelligence to boost muscle grip. Using electromyography (EMG), it measures the electrical activity created in response to a nerve’s stimulation of the muscle and the wearer’s intention to grip. An algorithm then converts that into force, applying the pressure needed to do a task, like hold a cup.