A built-in camera on the belt senses items as close as 30cm (11.8inch) and sends vibrations through patches worn on the chest and ankles.
Developers at University Hospital Southampton (UHS) believe the technology could be the ‘next generation’ of visual aid.
There are almost 25.5 million people living with sight loss in the US, and 2 million in the UK.
A UHS spokesman said that the belt consists of a 3D depth-sensing camera and a portable computer stick connected via WiFi to vibration patches hidden on a vest and ankle straps.