A Swiss company biped is pushing the field of assistive devices to the next era, bringing together cutting-edge AI technologies and the most intuitive feedback on the market.
It predicts your surroundings a few seconds ahead and generates intuitive feedback through spatial sounds.
How does biped work?
biped is a copilot device, that brings autonomous driving capabilities to humans. Wear it on your shoulders, pair it with the headphones of your choice, and start hearing what matters around you. Thanks to its 3D cameras, biped will identify the surrounding objects and obstacles, predict their trajectories, and filter the most important information.
biped uses spatial sounds to let you feel the position of the important elements around you. Spatial sounds are sounds that are really close to real-life sounds, you can feel that they come from a specific position in space. They advise to use bone conduction headphones connected over bluetooth for optimal experience, as it won’t block surrounding sounds.
What are some of the features of biped?
+6h of battery
Pack for a whole day!
< 900 grams
170° field of view to keep you safe at all time
What is the software behind it?
The software behind biped is named copilot. Inspired by autonomous vehicles, it integrates the latest advances of research and industry. It will allow you to safely and intuitively navigate in your daily life.
2. Identify Important Objects
SoundMap identifies more than 20 classes of objects. Get warned through spatial sounds of any important object that is on your way.
Get guided in new environments with simple spatial audio feedback. You can also connect your smartphone’s GPS.
The device identifies and predicts obstacle positions. Never hit an obstacle again. biped identifies more than 10 classes of objects, and filters only important objects coming in your direction.
Is biped easy to set-up?
The company developed a smartphone app in which you can follow a 20 minutes tutorial before getting started. Switch on the device, pair or plus your headphones, and you’re ready to go!
Does it work in the dark?
Most of the functionalities will also work in the dark! Most importantly, their obstacle avoidance relies in high-quality infrared cameras that work in any condition.
Do you still have to use your white cane?
Your white cane provides detailed tactile information on the type of floor or very small changes of levels for example. Use biped as a complement to your white cane.
Can you use any headphone for the audio feedback?
You can either use wired headphones, or Bluetooth ones. They however recommend that you use bone conduction headphones to have the best experience, as it does not block the rest of the sounds.
Is the device already available?
They are currently running a beta-testing program. Simply fill-in a form, and you will be contacted to test the device and get an early access.
How much will the device cost?
They have been working extensively to compress the costs of the device. They are working on the reimbursement of the solution in specific regions, and will offer a subscription model to make it as affordable as possible.
Source: biped
