This week’s Talking Vision covers a wide range of issues relating to people who are blind or have low vision, including the some of the latest technology available, how dog guides are trained across the world and our efforts to create positive change through the Victorian State Election.
First up on the show is Guide Dogs UK Research Development Manager Chris Muldoon who is interviewed by Stephen Jolley around the future of dog guides and the services his organisation provides. .
“I keep telling guide dog instructors and mobility instructors that if you’re training someone in five years the same way that you’re training them tody then you’re probably a dinosaur,” Chris said.
“The tech that we’ll be using will be so much [more] able to enhance mobility for people with sight loss that the dog’s role will shift. The shift in the dog’s work will be towards obstacle detection and obstacle avoidance, whereas the destination work the dog does may be taken over by technology,” he said.
One of those pieces of technology is the Sunu Band, which was launched in Australia earlier this month and Sunu Band co-founder Dr Fernando Albertorio joins the program with VA’s Tony Wu to discuss the sonar smart-band.
“The Sunu Band is a smart-band technology designed to be a compliment to the white cane or travel with a guide dog,” Dr Albertorio said.
“It uses radar with augmented reality. In other words it’s using haptic vibration feedback to make the wearer more aware of obstacles,” he said.
The episode finishes with a selectin of interviews by regular host Stella Glorie with a range of Victorian politicians from a recent event Vision Australia held at Victorian Parliament House.
The event was part of our #Vision4Vic campaign, in which we are advocating for positive change for the blind and low vision community ahead of the Victorian election in late November. You can find out all about the #Vision4Vic priorities here.
Listen to the latest Talking Vision here or on the player below. You can also download through iTunes here.