Tokyo (SCCIJ) – The start-up Lighthouse Tech from Ticino, Switzerland, is launching a pair
of smart glasses for the blind and visually impaired that integrates powerful obstacle detection
technology into a stylish frame.
Identifying obstacles at eye level
Since the 1920s, the white cane—the extended index finger of a blind or severely visually impaired person—has improved the daily lives of blind and visually impaired people. In Switzerland, some 400,000 blind and visually impaired people benefit from this invention, and there are 43 million blind and visually impaired people worldwide. However, this simple, analog method can only be used to identify objects at floor level.
Around 100 years later, going outdoors may become even safer for the blind and partially sighted. The ‘TAMI’ glasses, developed by Swiss start-up Lighthouse Tech and equipped with the latest sensor technology, can detect all objects between waist and head height, such as the branches of a tree, but also the door of a cupboard left open by a distracted family member in the kitchen.
Like a parking aid in your glasses
The vision sensor system on the front of the frame detects obstacles up to 3 meters away in real-time. The system emits a kind of light vibration, similar to that of a smartphone, via special receivers integrated into the temples. Changing the direction of walking increases or decreases the vibration in the temples, allowing the visually impaired person to choose the right direction. When the temples stop vibrating, this is a signal that there are no more obstacles in the direction of travel. In terms of logic, it is similar to a parking aid in a car.
In spring 2024, the young company successfully closed a seed round of 500,000 francs and received several awards, including additional support of 150,000 francs from Venture Kick. Waterproof and built to last, the pair of glasses comes in premium styles and colors. It features physical buttons, gestures, and magnetic charging ports to ensure it is always ready. Users get advanced radar sensing and algorithms and easy-to-understand haptic feedback.
The glasses are Swiss-made with premium materials and feature three styles with Italian design concealing the smart components. The USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery lasts for 6 hours on the go. “At first glance, design only seems to be of visual interest, but beautiful design is not only for the sighted observer. It is central to all people. Lighthouse Tech combines functionality with design most beautifully,” says Stephan Mörker, Director of products and services at SZBLIND in Switzerland.
Fashionable and useful
Founded in 2020 by veterans of the optical and eyewear industry, the company has always paid attention to eyewear design as well as functionality. When it goes on sale in the first quarter of 2025, there will be six different models to choose from, ensuring that the visual aid is also fashionable. Unlike other smart mobility solutions, the device developed by Lighthouse Tech is discreet, highly intuitive, and fashionable. The preorder models with dark and transparent lenses sell with a discount of 20% for 1,360 Swiss francs.
Text: Swisstech (Editing by SCCIJ)
