Patent pending! Prof. Frederick Prete and Amal Khan...

Lab Director Prof. Prete and Lake Forest College research student Amal Khan are pictured at the recent Glassman Symposium, each holding a prototype of our new haptic-enhanced white cane. These canes deliver vibration-based alerts about obstacles—and, when relevant, object movement—so users can respond before a collision occurs.

Prof. Prete and his son, Benjamin, also brought several prototypes to the recent Illinois state convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Everyone who tested them reported that the canes were remarkably helpful and a clear improvement over the standard white cane.

We are now preparing to introduce the canes early next year at the national convention of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).