GoSense launched a white stick with 3D sound, The Lab / Ideas

As in virtual reality, but real. The Electronic white stick Made by Rango GoSense Signals, by prof Spatial three-dimensional sound, obstacles to the blind. The patented sensor, it has been in development for about ten years Hugo de Chaumont and Francois Beirut, Co-founders, discover dangers up to 2.50 meters in front of visually impaired pedestrians. A deep and ringing sound is played, transmitted via bluetooth via the phone’s speakers, as the obstacle approaches.

This three-dimensional sound, produced by the spatial modeling, reaches the wearer of this rod from the place where the danger has been identified: in front of it or at 45 degrees to its left … the sound intensifies and rises three times as it approaches, unless it turns around “On the right for example, leaving the noise on his left”, Hugo de Chaumont, who heads the Lyon company, explains.

The principle of the electronic wand has been around for twenty-five years thanks to René Farsi, researcher on CNRS And the inventor of the Tom Boss case. But this radar device, like the British UltraCane and the German Vistac, is satisfied, according to Hugues de Chaumont, “Vibration, without identifying the location of the hazard, is like a reverse radar indicating caution. Our spatial voice, silent in the absence of collision risk, is unique in the world.”

medical device

He had, with François Beirut, his childhood friend and engineer “Since high school, I wanted to make a technological and social contribution.” Both musicians, naturally turned into phoneme, then 3D sound as virtual reality advanced, in search of who this technology could benefit from. There are 200,000 blind people and 2 million Visually Impaired in France. In 2011, Hugues de Chaumont immersed himself for a year as a volunteer in the community.

The first version of Rango was released, without sound in 3D, in 2018 thanks to the Lions Club who funded the first 300 copies. The second with a local sound, Launched in FebruaryIn addition, it provides a geolocation and schedule service for public transportation. Above all, this made in France cane, which sold for around 2000 euros, will be certified as a medical device within a few months, paving the way for a 75% repayment. GoSense has chosen to outsource marketing to the visually impaired through delegated independent seller contracts.