Microsoft’s smart 'Alice band' could help visually impaired navigate outside

Microsoft is working with charity Guide Dogs for the Blind, to develop a Google Glass-like wearable that will help the visually impaired get around in crowded places including the public transport.

As reported by The Daily Mail , the device resembles the Alice Band and uses an earpiece for navigation instructions. It works by bouncing information from sensors mounted on any item such as buildings or train carriages to a receiver in the wearer’s headband. The user is able to receive personalised instructions, such as how to get to the airport on time if a train is delayed.

The device is being tested on a group in Reading, in Berkshire, England. According to the report, Tim Gebbels, an actor who is blind and has tested early versions of the technology for Guide Dogs, a charity for the blind, hopes it will enable him to navigate towns and cities ‘as easily as anybody else’.

Despite the similarities with the Google Glass, Microsoft and Guide Dogs maintain that the product is not a commercial development and does not aim to compete with Google.

A video released in 2012 called A Family Day Out showcases some of the device’s features.

The device has been developed as part of Cities Unlocked, a joint initiative between Microsoft, Guide Dogs and the Future Cities Catapult, a government-backed initiative looking at developing “smart” city technology.