By Tom Avril, Philadelphia Inquirer
Using a cane, a blind person can easily detect obstacles at ground level. But what about something at waist height or above, such as the caution tape surrounding a construction site? “It’s insidious,” said Suzanne Erb, a blind resident of Center City. “By the time you’ve reached it with your cane, it’s way too late.” Unless you happen to be wielding a one-of-a-kind electronically enhanced cane, the work of University of Pennsylvania engineering students who consulted with Erb. The cane is equipped with a device that projects a cone of ultrasonic waves in front of the user, allowing it to detect obstructions and then warn the person by making the cane vibrate.
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