USE OF RADAR FOR BLIND

Chronicle (Levin), 3 July 1946, Page 4

USE OF RADAR FOR BLIND

RESEARCH IN BRITAIN British scientists may use a radar device in a portable guiding instrument for the blind. They are working on a Committee on Sensitivity Devices for the Blind, set up by St. Dunstan's, the famous United Kingdom organisation for men and women blinded on war service. Tne chairman of the committee is Professor E. D. Adrian, Professor pf Physiology, Cambridge, and other members include Dr. Uttley, of the great Malvern * Radar Establishment, and a young engineer who, as a flight lieutenant, lost his sight in action with the R.A.F. Speaking about the committee's work recently, Sir Ian Fraser. Chairman of,St. Dunstan's, said: "We don't imagine radar can makt a blind man see, hut something -analagous to radar may be used ir constructing our guiding instrument." -t ; > A 'This in"strumehhj4it . is often referred to as an "ear torch"would emit rays which, reflected back from obstacles, would indicate their distance. Already the laboratory models designed for St. Dunstan's are capable of giving noticr of obstacles by a warning note, and calculating their distance by a focussing device. Much research however, is still necessary before the instrument is perfected. Another of the committee's projected aids for the blind is the print-reading apparatus. It is hoped to evolve a machine which will convert any type of print into sound, achieving a kind of synthetic speech. One difficulty is tc devise a simple code for translation of print into sound so that it can be "read" easily.