The scenery is one of the most important elements of a road trip, but as beautiful as a landscape may be, blind passengers cannot enjoy it.
Until now, that is, as thanks to Ford, those who cannot rely on their eyes can create a clear picture in their mind of the snowy mountains or green valleys that surround the car.
The technology works by taking high-contrast monochrome pictures, which are then reproduced on the side window, via special LEDs. Blind passengers can then touch the window, and they will feel the different shades of grey vibrating with a range of 255 intensities. This allows them to literally touch the scenery and rebuilt it in their mind.
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“We seek to make people’s lives better, and this was a fantastic opportunity to help blind passengers experience a great aspect of driving“, said Ford’s spokesman Mac Alu Saffi. “The technology is advanced, but the concept is simple – and could turn mundane journeys into truly memorable ones.”
Developed by the Michigan-based automaker’s Italian arm and GTB Roma, in collaboration with a local start-up that specializes in devices for the visually impaired, Aedo, the technology is called ‘Feel the View’. It’s still in concept form, but it has the opportunity to be offered as an optional extra on certain vehicles in the future.