- The University of Glasgow has made special robot guide dogs for people who can’t see well. These robot dogs use the latest technology to help people move around better.
- Working together with schools, businesses, and non-profit organizations is helping to create RoboGuide. This technology will make it easier for people to use and could have a big impact.
- Experiments at Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum show that RoboGuide is good at giving interactive help and support.
A new project led by experts from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering is going to greatly improve the lives of people who are visually impaired. The creation of RoboGuide, a robot guide dog with AI, is a big step forward in helping blind and partially sighted people.
New and advanced technology for people who have trouble seeing.
The RoboGuide project, led by Olaoluwa Popoola, a researcher at the university, wants to help blind and partially sighted people become more independent in their daily lives. RoboGuide uses advanced sensors to make maps and move around indoors, like in museums, shopping centers, and hospitals. This new way avoids problems that current technologies have, like GPS systems and cameras that need a clear view.
Instantly finding your way and communicating with others.
RoboGuide uses smart software to find the best ways to go and avoid things so people are safe. In addition, it can understand and talk back to people, making it easier for people to use and enjoy.
Experimental tests and what might happen in the future
The progress of RoboGuide was shown at the university’s research center and got a lot of interest from businesses and charities. Experiments at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow showed that the robot was very helpful in giving directions and assistance to volunteers from the Forth Valley Sensory Centre Trust and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Scotland.
Changing lives by working together.
Working together with universities, businesses, and people who use the product has been very important in making progress on the project. Professor Muhammad Imran, who leads the Graduate Studies at the James Watt School of Engineering, says new technologies can change society to include more people and change the way people usually behave. Jacquie Winning, Chief Executive of the FVSC, agrees that RoboGuide is a great way to help visually impaired people get around more easily.
Encouraging people to be independent.
James Adams, who leads RNIB Scotland, says it’s important to help make things easier for people and give them the power to live independently with confidence. Approximately 22 billion people around the world have trouble seeing. That’s why it’s really important to come up with new ideas like RoboGuide to help them.
Business expansion and what to expect in the future
In the future, the research team wants to improve RoboGuide so that it can be used by many different visually impaired people. By using advanced technology and getting feedback from people who use it, they want to make a system that can be used in many different indoor places. With help from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, we are working to make the future more accessible and inclusive.
The University of Glasgow is using advanced technology and teamwork to help blind people. The RoboGuide project will make it easier for them to move around indoors and be more independent.
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