Swiss start-up biped has developed a novel harness, worn on the shoulders of blind and visually impaired people. The harness, fitted with a camera monitoring a 170-degree field of view, is designed to act as artificial intelligence (AI) co-pilot.

Biped will help the wearer avoid obstacles, anticipate collisions, understand your scene and get navigation instructions through 3D sounds. Described as the ideal complement to a white cane or guide dog, the biped detects tracks and predicts the trajectories of surrounding elements a few seconds in advance. This includes filtering relevant information.

The harness was developed by Mael Fabien, using his own computer science research, and inspired by working next to the main ophthalmic hospital in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The harness weighs less than 1kg and can be worn over any thickness of clothing without special fastenings.

The company aims to launch in Switzerland this year, and in the US in 2023.

See the biped website to stay in touch.

See how to use the biped here.