WEST BANK-VEST/BLINDNESS Palestinian students invent vest to facilitate movement for the blind

Record ID: 565881

  • Title: WEST BANK-VEST/BLINDNESS Palestinian students invent vest to facilitate movement for the blind
  • Date: 24th February 2015
  • Summary: HEBRON, WEST BANK (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY SIGN READING (Arabic): "POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY" VARIOUS OF STUDENTS PREPARING VEST VARIOUS OF DEAN OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND PROJECT EXECUTIVE, RAMZI AL-QAWASMI, SUPERVISING STUDENTS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MEDICAL DEVICES ENGINEERING GRADUATE STUDENT, ABDEL RAHMAN AL-BARMEEL, SAYING: "The project offered many solutions that differed to other previous projects, for example the idea of the ground sensor is very effective and new one in this field. The system works on directing the people by voice commands and vibration commands." AL-QAWASMI CHECKING VEST VARIOUS OF TEAM CHECKING VEST (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEAN OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND PROJECT EXECUTIVE, RAMZI AL QAWASMI, SAYING: "The project constitutes of a vest worn by the visually impaired to help them to integrate into society and communicate with people through directing and coaching them through a path which is free of obstacles." AL-BARMEEL PUTTING VEST ON WIRES INSIDE VEST VARIOUS OF VEST BEING ADJUSTED TO FIT BODY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) DEAN OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND PROJECT SUPERVISOR, AL QAWASMI SAYING: "The students were able with their limited resources to design and execute this project. The project still needs more development with financial and moral support and needs to be embraced by institutions and potential youth sponsors." VARIOUS OF BLIND MAN TESTING VEST WOMEN WATCHING PROCESS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BLIND MAN, AYOUB AL-SARSOUR, SAYING: "This (vest) maybe an alternative for the stick that we often use in our daily life. It additionally tells you where the obstacles are on your right, left or in front. This is really great." AL-SARSOUR WALKING DOWN STAIRS USING THE VEST
  • Embargoed: 11th March 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9038DH6ZS7RDX12Z3D1LK50DH
  • Story Text: Palestinian students at Polytechnic University in Hebron have created a vest that would be an alternative to using the stick for the visually impaired.
    The system is based on a vest, named the Smart Assist System for Blind People (SASB), that helps users to locate obstacles along their way.
    Graduate student of engineering, Abdel Rahman al-Barmeel, pointed out the convenience of the system's use.
    "The project offered many solutions that differed to other previous projects, for example the idea of the ground sensor is very effective and new one in this field. The system works on directing the people by voice commands and vibration commands," said al-Barmeel.
    The system also provides the user with a sound alert for the battery capacity. It immediately switches to saving energy mode before the battery runs out.
    The vest is also equipped with a music player that is controlled wirelessly by the user.
    The work was a collaboration between students of Medical Devices Engineering and Industrial Automation Mechanic Engineering and took place under the supervision of the Dean of Engineering Department and Project Supervisor, Dr. Ramzi al-Qawasmi.
    Dr. Al-Qawasmi expressed the importance of the integration of the visually impaired with society.
    "The project constitutes of a vest worn by the visually impaired to help them to integrate into society and communicate with people through directing and coaching them through a path which is free of obstacles," he said.
    The person using the vest can also follow voice commands through headphones that are connected to the system.
    "The students were able with their limited resources to design and execute this project. The project still needs more development with financial and moral support and needs to be embraced by institutions and potential youth sponsors," Al Qawasmi added.
    Blind Man, Ayoub al-Sarsour, after testing the vest said that it is helpful and can be an alternative to the common stick which is used by the visually impaired.
    "This (vest) maybe an alternative for the stick that we often use in our daily life. It additionally tells you where the obstacles are on your right, left or in front. This is really great," said Sarsour.
    Project team members specifically appreciated the Red Crescent Society for hiring specialists to help design the jacket.
    They expressed their need for interested sponsors to pay attention to this innovative idea and transform it to a marketable product.
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