Microsoft reportedly working on wearable device to help the blind

A new report claims that Microsoft is working on a new wearable device designed to help blind people navigate better in public, and that it's currently being tested in the UK.

The report claims that eight blind people in Reading are involved in the secretive pilot project for the device, which combines a headband with an earpiece. When the user of the headband looks at certain objects, it relays information about it to the earpiece.

The Sunday Times was the first to report on the project, which it claims it is part of an collaborative effort between Microsoft, Guide Dogs and the Future Cities Catapult called Cities Unlocked. Guide Dogs released a concept video in 2012 that may give an idea of what this pilot project might be like.

The Sunday Times adds that Microsoft is not officially commenting on this project but that more information could be revealed sometime in the next few months. What do you think of this idea for a wearable device to help the blind?

Source: Sunday Times via BBC