The Eye Glove is designed to help visual impaired people live better. The Eye Glove translates object distance into pressure along the finger, allowing for a much more accurate spacial perception for the user.

A laser distance meter captures the object distance in real time, the hand mounted processor and finger mounted pressure actuators translate this distance into a pressure applied in the finger.

The location of the applied pressure to the finger (measured from the finger tip) is proportional to the object distance. When the object is closer to the finger, the pressure moves towards the finger tip. When the object is far from the finger, the pressure moves towards the finger base. The finger tip is free to allow for better sensivity when touching objects and feeling Braille inscriptions.

Sensorial tests were executed sucessfully for proof of concept. The person can acurately "feel" the distance of a given object with the finger. With the improved response time of electronics, the perception will increase, allowing the person to actually have a remote feeling of the ambient and build a mind map of the objects.

With the Eye Glove, visual impaired persons will be able to fell the space around them and have a better quality of life.

Guilherme Ferro