Light Beams Guide Blind Thru Building Without Escort (Jul, 1934)
Filed under: General — @ 10:18 pm
Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1934
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Source: Modern Mechanix ( More articles from this issue )
Issue: Jul, 1934
| Buy on Ebay
Light Beams Guide Blind Thru Building Without Escort
BEAMS of light now guide the sightless through building corridors and up and down stairways. The subject is equipped with a portable photronic cell unit which sounds a buzzer as long as the operator travels along the light beam. The buzzing ceases when the course is changed.
At points where two or more light beams intersect various combinations of sanded strips are glued to the floor to indicate locations of doors, stairways or corners.
So, if the subject come across somebody holding a flashlight, he’s going to follow him till the end of days… :S
Comment by JM — September 18, 2008 @ 9:03 am
Seems like constant buzzing would infuriate everybody around, including the person being guided. Very interesting concept, though!
Comment by Erica — September 18, 2008 @ 12:04 pm
This should be filed under ‘impractical’ as for it to be useful the building has to be fitted with the light beams and corner/stair indicating strips. Probably was only used in some “Colleges for the Blind” but even then, surely the students quickly became familiar with the building’s layout.
Comment by katey — September 18, 2008 @ 7:51 pm
A cane would actually be easier to use!
Comment by Charlene — September 21, 2008 @ 7:27 am