New smart glasses enhance safety for blind and visually impaired

The white cane has been improving the daily lives of blind and visually impaired people since the 1920s. It is, so to speak, the extended index finger of a blind or severely visually impaired person. In Switzerland, some 400,000 blind and visually impaired people benefit from this invention, and there are 43 million blind and visually impaired people worldwide. However, this simple, analogue method can only be used to identify objects at floor level.

Around 100 years later, going outdoors may become even safer for the blind and partially sighted. The ‘TAMI’ glasses, developed by Swiss start-up Lighthouse Tech, are equipped with the latest sensor technology and provide sensory information about obstacles in their path. In particular, they are able to detect all objects between waist and head height, such as the branches of a tree, but also the door of a cupboard left open by a distracted family member in the kitchen. These types of obstacles cannot be detected by a white cane or guide dog, which are very useful for providing a warning of obstacles at floor level and slightly above.

A sophisticated vision sensor system on the front of the frame detects obstacles up to 3 metres away in real time. The system emits a kind of light vibration, similar to that of a smartphone, via special receivers integrated into the temples. Changing the direction of walking increases or decreases the vibration in the temples, allowing the visually impaired person to choose the right direction. When the temples stop vibrating, this is a signal that there are no more obstacles in the direction of travel. In terms of logic, it is similar to a parking aid in a car.

Founded in 2020 in Ticino, Switzerland, by veterans of the optical and eyewear industry, the company has always paid attention to eyewear design as well as functionality. When it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2025, there will be six different models to choose from, ensuring that the visual aid is also fashionable. Unlike other smart mobility solutions, the device developed by Lighthouse Tech is discreet, highly intuitive and fashionable.

In spring 2024, the young company successfully closed a seed round of CHF 500,000 and received several awards, including additional support of CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick.