Inspenet, July 20, 2023.
An innovative Brazilian robot guide dog has been created with the purpose of assisting people with visual impairments and mobility to avoid accidents by finding the safest route.
Lysa, the robot dog, stands out for its special mission of guiding people with visual disabilities or reduced mobility and has been awarded the prize in Mobility and Prevention at the Fundación MAPFRE Awards for Social Innovation.
This recognition is well-deserved praise for the first robot guide dog designed to offer autonomy and security, thus improving the quality of life of these people. Thanks to its sensors and voice commands, Lysa detects obstacles and always chooses the safest route for its movements.
The current CEO of Vixsystem in Brazil, Neide Sellin is the mind behind this robot guide dog. In the past, as a robotics teacher, she discovered the opportunity to simulate a robot dog to assist visually impaired people, fulfilling the same function as traditional guide dogs.
In Brazil there are more than 6.5 million citizens with visual disabilities and only 200 people have access to conventional guide dogs due to their high cost of training and maintenance.
Currently, there are around 24 Lysas in operation in both public and private places in Brazil, which are frequented by people with disabilities. The objective is to continue growing and for this, the founder created the Innovar Institute to raise funds for this project.
The purpose is to make this robot available to a large number of people with disabilities, as well as hospitals, orphanages and companies committed to creating more accessible spaces for them.
Functions of the Lysa robotic guide dog
Lysa has sensors, alerts about holes, obstacles and collisions in its path, so it is always looking for safer routes to guide the user and prevent serious accidents.
Neide has a clear vision of the future of the project and seeks to provide “dignity and autonomy”, precisely what Lysa represents, as it is designed to help not only people with visual disabilities, but also those who face mobility difficulties.
In 2017 the first Lysa model was built, designed to provide highly effective support to users. This innovative creation is practical, light and easy to use, being recognized among the 12 best ideas worldwide at the Innovation and Technology Week in Singapore, one of the main centers of global innovation.
The success of this device has been so outstanding that it has received multiple awards from prestigious institutions, which has prompted the development of a second generation of Lysa. This new version is even more efficient, accurate and fully automated, and will soon be deployed in different locations around the world.
Source and photo: https://www.20minutos.es/tecnologia/moviles-dispositivos/conoce-a-lysa-el-primer-perro-guia-robot-que-ayuda-a-las-personas-con-discapacidad- visual-4998398/
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