The WeWalk Good Cane 2 may very well be considered...

WeWalk launched a brand new model of its good cane for folks with visible impairments at CES 2025, bringing a redesign that addresses most of the first mannequin’s shortcomings and provides AI options and extra superior sensors from TDK. It’s positioned as a substitute for the normal foldable white cane. Co-founder Kursat Ceylan, who has been blind since delivery, says Good Cane 2 could make mobility simpler and safer, providing options like turn-by-turn navigation and impediment detection, together with a ChatGPT-powered voice assistant that places on-demand data in customers’ palms with out the necessity for them to additionally juggle a smartphone.

The WeWalk Good Cane 2 has a slimmer deal with than its predecessor, which ought to make for a extra comfy grip, and the corporate says it’s now about as light-weight as a normal white cane. It has tactile buttons to be extra user-friendly, casting off the touchpad of the earlier mannequin that some folks discovered to be troublesome to make use of. Ceylan says it may be utilized in completely different climate situations, not simply when it’s heat and dry (WeWalk describes the brand new cane as “rainwater-resistant”). The battery life is about 20 hours.

“You may fold and unfold it whenever you want it. There is a speaker, a microphone, impediment detection expertise and a flashlight to make visually impaired folks extra seen at night time. And likewise it has movement sensors in itself to supply a extra correct navigation expertise,” Ceylan defined.

Beneath the hood, the WeWalk Good Cane 2 has an ultrasonic time-of-flight sensor, an inertial measurement unit with six-axis movement monitoring, a pulse density modulated microphone and a barometric strain sensor from electronics firm TDK. When it detects one thing forward, it alerts the person with each haptic and audio suggestions, in keeping with Ceylan.

He demonstrated this within the very cramped, noisy setting of the Las Vegas Conference Middle, and I used to be in a position to hear over the group when the cane informed him he was approaching an impediment — on this case, a carpeted step marked with yellow and black tape that I noticed a number of CES attendees stumble over throughout our dialog. It can also hook up with headphones by way of Bluetooth.

Paired along with your smartphone, it can provide navigation directions and details about your environment, in addition to public transportation choices. “You may hear the names of shops and eating places you’re passing by,” he says. In Starbucks, the place he isn’t in a position to learn the menu, he says he would possibly ask the assistant in the event that they promote chocolate croissants.

“You need not maintain your smartphone anymore while you’re going someplace,” Ceylan mentioned. “You may put it into your pocket after which you will get all the knowledge by your WeWalk good cane.” There’s a smartphone interface for many who need to use it, although, which he held up by the demo so I may see what was happening on the opposite finish. Not like the overwhelming majority of merchandise I’ve encountered at CES this yr that appear to incorporate AI or ChatGPT for no actual cause aside from the truth that they will, this truly felt like a scenario the place it is sensible and will even be fairly useful.

Because it’s model new, we don’t but know the way all of this can translate to real-world use. Pre-orders at the moment are open for the WeWalk Good Cane 2, and the primary wave is anticipated to begin transport earlier than the tip of this month. There are two value fashions: $850 for the good cane plus a subscription for the voice assistant that prices $4.99 monthly, or $1150 altogether with no further subscription charge for full use of the AI. WeWalk Good Cane 2 is offered internationally.

The London-based startup additionally has a partnership with the Canadian Nationwide Institute for the Blind (CNIB) that kicks off in February, when the group will begin utilizing the WeWalk Good Cane 2 for its cane coaching program. The purpose is to assemble significant knowledge for instructors to allow them to actually perceive how individuals are utilizing mobility canes (AI-enabled or in any other case), and assist them get essentially the most out of the instruments. That, Ceylan says, “is so essential, as a result of the higher you get round, the higher you interact in life.”

Replace, January 9 2025, 11:55AM ET: This story has been up to date so as to add particulars on the good cane’s battery life.