Category: accessible Devices
Please check out this link, it is absolutely not a scam. I know the developers, have talked with them and they are very much available for questions etc, on fb and by phone. This has also been on tv.
http://crowdfunding.wcap.tim.it/projects/270/horus&lng=1
There's also a video, but the interviews to people who have tried it are in italian.
If this link doesn't go to the english version of the page let me know and I'll paste the text here.
Lets share and help this project how we can.
I'm really hopeful for this to work out...
It didn't go to English. Why not just say what exactly it is?
HORUS
by Horus Technology
Horus
A wearable assistant for blind and visually impaired people
Every day, in the world, almost 300 million people cannot perform daily actions such as crossing the road or reading a book, due to sight loss. Horus Technology wants to restore the feeling of safety that independence brings, allowing blind and visually impaired people to understand the world around them through a personal assistant, available always and everywhere.
What is Horus?
Horus is a wearable device especially thought to be a personal assistant for blind and partially sighted people.
It can sit on every pair of glasses and from its position it observes the scene, comprehends it and describes it to the person, giving precious information (e.g. pedestrian crossing position, text reading, face and object recognition) at the right moment and in an unobstrusive way.
This desciption is told through bone conduction: Horus will be heard in noisy situations, without hindering the user’s hearing as it could happen with normal earphones.
Horus is composed of two modules connected by a wire: The first one, holding the sensors and the bone conduction device, is worn on the person’s glasses without the need for a special frame. The second one is a smartphone-sized box that can be held in a pocket or in a bag: here the battery and the processor are located.
The user will interact with Horus in different ways: with buttons, voice recognition or simple gestures to help Horus to understand the context and select the right mode. This choice is led by the decision of creating a very natural interaction combining movement, voice and traditional buttons.
How will we make it?
We are collaborating with associations and early adopters. Thanks to surveys (distributed both in Italy and in the UK) we identified the first software features that could be useful in people’s everyday life.
Features: Face Recgnition, voice interaction, text reading, object recognition, zebra crossing detection
Currently, we are developing our software on development boards in order to quickly reach a prototype. To get closer to this objective as fast as possible, we are using 3D printing techniques to test Horus designs.
The creation process is divided into development phases and testing phases: in this way we can introduce new functionalities, test them, modify them listening to the users’ feedback and repeat the process until that feature is built around the person.
Why is Horus different from other devices?
Horus does not require any internet connection or any external devices to perform its tasks. Moreover, it is designed in order to be customisable by the user, who will be able to ask Horus to learn new objects, or the faces of his family members or even new friends. Interaction is a key value: Horus is designed to interact as naturally as possible.
How will the raised funds be used to change the lives of millions of people?
With this crowdfunding campaign we want to gather the necessary funds to deliver prototypes to the Italian Blind Union: its members will help us test its features, and our goal will be to keep in constant touch with them, to listen to their feedback and to improve our design.
Because of this we have to invest money and time in the development of the most effective prototype, exploiting the best hardware on the market.
Team:
“Once we were walking in Genoa, when a person stopped us: he was asking us how to reach the closest bus stop. At first I was surprised and then I realised: he was blind and he was in a real need. Without our help that simple task would be a hard challenge”
This experience of Saverio and Luca was the birth of Horus, because from that moment they started thinking about all the problems blind and visually impaired people have to face everyday, and they set their goal: using their knowledge to make blind people more independent. Then Benedetta fell in love with the project and joined the team.
Saverio Murgia
Saverio Murgia (CEO): I am the creator of Horus and I am now in charge of both part of the technical implementation as well as looking for fundings and manufacturers for the parts.
My background is mainly technical and I have previous experience in robotics and computer vision on mobile robots. I own a BSc in Biomedical Engineering and I am currently an MSc candidate at the European Master on Advanced Robotics. My previous working experience are as an intern and independent contractor researcher at the University of Genoa, Italian Institute of Technology and Polytechnic University of Turin.
Since I am also a student at the institute for excellent students of the University of Genoa (ISSUGE-ISICT), I also had many courses on innovation management, business organization and management, finance and leadership.
I am co-author of a scientific paper I presented this year in Lisbon at the VISIGRAPP conference.
Luca Nardelli
Luca Nardelli (CTO): My work is focused on the design and development of both hardware and software.
I am a graduate student in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Genoa, and I am now attending the MSc in Neuroengineering there (graduation in 2015). I have experience in computer vision and programming (e.g. C++ and CUDA), and my previous experiences comprise a collaboration with the Polytechnic University of Turin, an internship and the role of research assistant both at the University of Genoa.
I am attending the excellence institute of the University of Genoa (ISSUGE-ISICT). There I had the occasion to practice team working and organization, and I attended courses on communication, innovation, business organization and management,
I am co-author of a scientific paper on computer vision I presented this year in Lisbon at the VISIGRAPP conference.
Benedetta Magri
Benedetta Magri (Business Developer): In Horus I am working on the market analysis and strategy planning, while I’m netting all the links we could need to reach investors not only interested in our project, but in its social impact. Being the first knot in the network: this is my role.
I can talk for hours about Cicero and Tucidide and all the ancient authors that I met during my high school. I spent a year in Bridlington, in East Yorkshire, where I was working in one of the finest venue: The Spa Bridlington. I was in charge of customer relations for private events and I collaborated to the production of the summer show. I am a student of Business and Economics at the University of Genoa and I will graduate in 2015. Since 2011 I have been belonging to the Leo Club of Rapallo - Santa Margherita Ligure - Portofino, a youth organization united under the mission “We serve”.
If you have any doubts regarding this project please, visit our website horus.technology or write to us at info@horus.technology and we will answer as soon as possible.
Perks:
From 5€: THANK YOU: You will be personally thanked by us on Facebook, Twitter and your name will be featured on our website!
From 10€: YOUR NAME IN BRAILLE: We will ship a thank-you braille post card to your place. Thanks to the instruction leaflet, you will be able to read your name in braille!
3D printed glasses picture
From 25€: 3D PRINTED GLASSES: Choose the model you like most and we will print it and ship it to your place, so that you will be able to use it for the most special events! We thank Simone Majocchi for the 3D models.
From 35€: 3D WOODLIKE GLASSES: If you like glasses but fashion has a special place in your heart, then we offer to print the glasses with a woodlike material!
From 50€: CONCERT IN THE DARK: Do you want to try a new sensory experience? Come to the concert in the dark we will organise! Depending on the number and whereabouts of the people we will decide the perfect place and time. You will be constatly updated on the artists that will perform.
Blindly Dancing Logo
From 70€: BLINDLY DANCING x2: A dancing workshop, in which both you and your partner will be blindfolded. You will learn caribbean dancing with the great instractors Elena and Anthony! The voucher you will receive will be usable in any event organised by their dancing group.
Yeah! Project picture
From 1500€: "YEAH!": This is our business reward. Thanks to Fabio and Marco and their "Yeah!" project, businesses will be able to obtain advice on accessibility or offer to their employees accessibility courses. The courses will last 3 hours and the instructors will personally come to your location.
From 8.000€: BECOME A TESTER: If you are an association or a group of people and you want to perform your personal fundraising events, then you can aim for this perk, and obtain access to the prototype testing phase. You will get a prototype and our support throughout the whole process. We will spend time with the people who will be involved in the tests, both in especially organized situation and their everyday lives. Our support will be guaranteed everyday even remotely and you will be able to actively collaborate in the development of Horus.
For international applicants there could be supplementary transport fees.
Feedback:
“The future belongs to the eye of the people who cannot see. We must live with all our senses and emotions” Pietro P.
“Once your development will be finished we will have great advantages, something we couldn't think until a while ago and Italy is really late on this topic. We need people like you, keen on working on a project, well done!” Andrea T.
“Wow!!! I am blind and I want to congratulate with you, you are amazing :) Thank you!” Lorenzo U.
“We must help these guys, they are young but they are working on a huge challenge for the whole society. We can show them to the world and be proud of Italy and its talents.” Ivana M
“ I am partially sighted (1/30 visus on my right eye and nothing on the left one). I examined your project and I am enthusiastic about it. I believe this would be very helpful for us! Thanks for your effort.” Giuseppe B.
“My son is 37 years old and some months ago he was diagnosed with Retinitis (my father had the same illness and he became blind). Someone told me about your research and prototype, I think it would be a miracle!” Josefin S.
“I believe this would be extremely useful and I would buy it. Please, keep in touch and let this project continue and grow the fastest you can.” Davide D.B.
“Thank you awesome guys! I have been partially sighted for 14 years and when I heard about your project I was in tears: this means how painful my condition is and how generous you are working on this project to understand our difficulties and help us. With your support I will be born again. I hope it will happen in a blink of an eye. With love and gratitude” Rita R.
“Today Horus can open a new world in a different way to all the people with disability: a new world.” Veronica P
that's in english, but here's the original link anyway, http://crowdfunding.wcap.tim.it/projects/270/horus&lng=2
Here you'll find the youtube video, how to support, an interview on tv to the developers though that's in italian, and more. And this will really go to the english page.
Okay. Thank you. Interesting.