• Start-ups WeWaLK and .lumen have respectively developed a smart cane and a computer vision headset that can precisely guide users and facilitate their inclusion in the population in general.
• These new and relatively expensive IoT devices have yet to be reimbursed by social security systems in the different countries where they are distributed.
At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, two start-ups stood out with remarkable new technology for the blind and partially sighted. WeWaLK unveiled the world’s first smart cane: a device that resembles a traditional white stick with integrated AI technology to guide users more effectively. For its part, .lumen (pronounced “dot lumen”) presented a computer vision headset with haptic feedback and advanced artificial intelligence technology. Both of these innovations have significant potential to enhance their users’ quality of life. As Gökhan Meriçliler, a co-founder of the British company WeWaLK, explains, “When you improve their mobility, blind people experience increased autonomy and independence, and they can also access more job opportunities.”
WeWaLK users will benefit from a navigation service for some 3,000 cities made possible by a partnership with Microsoft and Moovit.
A cane that talks
“You can talk to this smart cane, and it will talk back. For example, it can direct you to nearby buses and trains,” explains WeWaLK’s chief innovation officer, Jean-Marc Feghali, who is also a partially sighted user of the device. The WeWaLK is equipped with an intelligent voice assistant, AI-powered navigation, and an obstacle detection system with audible and haptic alerts. Users can pair the device with a smartphone so as to activate the functionalities of its custom-made application with buttons located on the cane itself. One of the most important of these is a navigation service for some 3,000 cities made possible by a partnership with Microsoft and Moovit. “We have an inertial measurement unit that includes a gyroscope, a compass, an accelerometer and an ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles. We even included a barometer in version 2 of the cane,” adds Jean-Marc Feghali. “We use ultrasonic technology to detect obstacles., which, in the future, we’d like to be able to identify directly so as to provide our users with spatial awareness.” points out Gökhan Meriçliler. Processing for some of the cane’s features is done in the cloud, however, safety-critical functions such as obstacle detection are handled locally to ensure their constant availability.
An alternative to traditional guide dogs
In Romania, entrepreneur Cornel Amariei adopted a different approach when developing an IoT solution to offer a scalable alternative to guide dogs, which are in short supply and require expensive training and care. His hardware invention, which has been christened .lumen Glasses, takes the form of a headset with six integrated cameras and an Nvida processor. The device analyses the immediate environment and leads the way with a combination of vocal prompts and haptic signals to the user’s head, which indicate the direction he or she should follow. “Our glasses use algorithms to navigate in real time and guide users while avoiding obstacles.” As Amariei explains, the technology offers an experience akin to autonomous driving for pedestrians: “It detects pavements, roads, intersections and even specific surfaces like water and ice.” Onboard the device, there are eight to eleven AI models with algorithms that have been trained on images from more than 40 countries. Making it even more robust, the company has also tested its solution in extreme conditions to ensure that it can consistently detect a wide diversity of pavement types and markings from all over the world. “Every aspect of the headset, which provides guidance with haptics and information with voice prompts, has been designed to provide an optimal user experience that also benefits from a full day of battery life.” More than enough time to allow users to follow a hiking trail or take a walk while listening to information about nearby shops, or simply follow directions from Google Maps that enable them to reach a specific destination.
The issue of insurance coverage and reimbursement
Both start-ups are working with national social security organisations, and with veterans’ associations in the United States, to have their products covered by medical insurance. At a price point that is less expensive than a top-of-the-line smartphone, the WeWaLK cane will be cheaper than the .lumen Glasses, which are expected to cost between 5,000 and 10,000 euros. Cornel Amariei is hoping that insurers will take care of this expense: “We are aiming to have this technology reimbursed by social security so that it is free of charge to individuals.” Although the headset qualifies as a medical device, the drive to obtain coverage will be challenging. The product will have to pioneer a whole new category in its target market, which will initially be in Europe.
Top picture: A test of the .lumen headset.
Cornel Amariei
Dr. Jean-Marc Ferghali
Gokhan Mericliler
