Katerina Sedlackova
Visually impaired people are highly dependent on guides when it comes to participating in outdoor sports. When the guides drop out, so do the hobbies and activities of the partially sighted. The startup WAIBROsports is developing a navigation belt – the WAIBRObelt – which enables visually impaired and blind people to do sports without guides. The WAIBRObelt detects tracks and obstacles and guides the blind through running training. The supportive platform, which includes a route database and smartphone application, will offer detailed tracking data and training programs.
While using the belt, the visually impaired athlete is guided by vibrational impulses that provide information about the directions he or she needs to go, inclinations, and potential obstacles ahead. The WAIBRObelt is meant to serve as a guide when no personal guide is available.
