To guide blind athletes, researchers from the Ecole Polytechnique’s Applied Mathematics Center have developed a sound spatialization system, presented at the “Physique du sport” conference in Lyon in December 2021. Music, more or less strong in each ear and arriving with different times to the right or to the left, points the user in the right direction.
One of the advantages is that a single person can ensure the safety of several blind athletes, whereas today you need an assistant for each disabled person. The first track tests were conclusive and led to the creation of a start-up, RunBlind, which also develops systems for able-bodied people and screenless navigation. Researchers also want to study situations with barriers.
