The best from Serbia
25.09.2020. - 06:19
Hand of salvation for the blind and visually impaired
Startup Anora, as part of the Science Technology Park Belgrade, continues to develop a smart glove to be of great assistance to blind and visually impaired people.
The smart glove developed by the startup Anora team of young scientists headed by Nikola Krstić, should make life easier for those who need it most.
This young startup, being a part of the Science Technology Park community, has been developing a smart glove for the visually impaired and blind for several years. The glove works on the guidance principle similar to a white cane, however, the glove also complements it.
The primary purpose of the device called Anora is to help the blind and visually impaired to cope easier in the real world and get the needed information.
The sensors placed on the outside of the glove register obstacles in the environment. The Anora will vibrate stronger or weaker, depending on how close you are to the obstacle.
"If a person stands in front of a room entrance and the door is closed, the vibrations will become stronger the closer the glove is to the obstacle. But if the door is open, then the vibrations will stop at that opening", explains Nikola Krstić.
In this way, the glove helps blind people to move, but it implies that it works together with a "white cane" that recognises unevenness and obstacles on the ground. In addition, another significant function of the glove is its ability to recognise banknotes.
"The camera on the glove recognises the money by recording the banknote and, based on several codes, announces through the speaker which banknote it is", explains Krstić, adding that the glove can also recognise basic colours and medications. He also says that a mobile phone is no longer necessary to manage most, even the advanced functions of the Anora.
"All components and the battery, are accommodated in one housing which can be easily separated from the glove for easier maintenance and replacement of the glove and its cleaning. The device's three-cell battery lasts for two days and can be charged in less than 45 minutes. The complete device is water, dust and shock-resistant. The device is small, almost imperceptible", says this young inventor. In addition, Anora is equipped with a panic button for sending the location to selected people, as well as for telling the date and time, and making calls.
“Another feature of great importance for the blind and visually impaired is the option where the glove, using certain technologies based on the actual facial expression, interprets emotions and assesses their intensity”, Anora team explains.
The device is currently in the phase of final CE certification and testing by accredited authorities. It has been tested on hundreds of blind people, both from Serbia and abroad (Austria, Slovakia, Germany, America, Australia).
The project is funded by the Innovation Fund from the European Union Pre-Accession Funds for 2014 (IPA 2014), Direct Grant Agreement – „New Products and Services Developed by SMEs Through Research Commercialization“.
The Anora company is awarded a grant by the Innovation Activity Fund for the Early Development Program. These young scientists are developing the glove in Serbia, and the plan is to distribute it in our country, but also in the foreign market.
