Periodic Reporting for period 2 - 7Sense (Independent mobility to the blind and visually impaired using wearable remote touch sensing technology)
Période du rapport: 2023-10-01 au 2025-01-31
Worldwide, over 300 million individuals are blind or visually impaired, and the vast majority do not have access to technologies that enable safe and independent mobility. Conventional solutions—such as white canes or guide dogs—present serious limitations: canes are single-point detection tools that do not identify overhead or dynamic obstacles, while guide dogs require significant investment in training and care, making them inaccessible for many.
The 7Sense project was born from a vision to revolutionize assistive mobility through the creation of a wearable sensory substitution system that allows blind users to "feel" their surroundings using a novel remote haptic interface. At the heart of this innovation is a patented headband system that combines 3D environmental sensing, thermal imaging, and AI with a proprietary haptic tactile display—translating environmental information into real-time tactile signals on the user’s forehead. This allows the user to perceive objects, motion, and spatial layouts, not with sight or sound, but through touch—creating what the project calls a "superhuman remote sense of touch."
The strategic objective of the project was to mature this breakthrough from TRL6 to TRL8, ready for medical certification, mass production, and market entry. This entailed not only completing product development and clinical validation but also navigating complex regulatory frameworks, securing CE and ISO certifications, and building a robust go-to-market infrastructure across several European countries.
Politically and strategically, the 7Sense project aligns with key European Union priorities: it supports social inclusion, fosters innovation in digital health and assistive technologies, and promotes the rights and independence of persons with disabilities. As the EU prepares for a demographic shift toward an aging population and places growing emphasis on accessibility and equity, the potential for 7Sense to fill a critical gap in the assistive technology landscape is both timely and significant.
Expected impacts: On a societal level, 7Sense empowers individuals with visual impairments to regain independence, confidence, and mobility, enhancing their quality of life and social participation. Economically, it opens up new markets in assistive tech while lowering long-term healthcare and social support costs. Scientifically, it contributes to cutting-edge research in haptics, neuroplasticity, and sensory substitution. The success of the 7Sense project also demonstrates how targeted EU innovation funding through the EIC Accelerator can drive transformative, inclusive technologies from concept to market.
7Sense is not just a device—it's a leap forward in human-machine interaction, inclusion, and dignity.
The 7Sense project was born from a vision to revolutionize assistive mobility through the creation of a wearable sensory substitution system that allows blind users to "feel" their surroundings using a novel remote haptic interface. At the heart of this innovation is a patented headband system that combines 3D environmental sensing, thermal imaging, and AI with a proprietary haptic tactile display—translating environmental information into real-time tactile signals on the user’s forehead. This allows the user to perceive objects, motion, and spatial layouts, not with sight or sound, but through touch—creating what the project calls a "superhuman remote sense of touch."
The strategic objective of the project was to mature this breakthrough from TRL6 to TRL8, ready for medical certification, mass production, and market entry. This entailed not only completing product development and clinical validation but also navigating complex regulatory frameworks, securing CE and ISO certifications, and building a robust go-to-market infrastructure across several European countries.
Politically and strategically, the 7Sense project aligns with key European Union priorities: it supports social inclusion, fosters innovation in digital health and assistive technologies, and promotes the rights and independence of persons with disabilities. As the EU prepares for a demographic shift toward an aging population and places growing emphasis on accessibility and equity, the potential for 7Sense to fill a critical gap in the assistive technology landscape is both timely and significant.
Expected impacts: On a societal level, 7Sense empowers individuals with visual impairments to regain independence, confidence, and mobility, enhancing their quality of life and social participation. Economically, it opens up new markets in assistive tech while lowering long-term healthcare and social support costs. Scientifically, it contributes to cutting-edge research in haptics, neuroplasticity, and sensory substitution. The success of the 7Sense project also demonstrates how targeted EU innovation funding through the EIC Accelerator can drive transformative, inclusive technologies from concept to market.
7Sense is not just a device—it's a leap forward in human-machine interaction, inclusion, and dignity.
The 7Sense project successfully transformed a TRL6 prototype into a TRL8 market-ready medical device, enabling blind and visually impaired users to perceive their environment through remote haptic feedback.
Key technical achievements include:
- Development of Wearable Hardware: Designed and built an ergonomic headband integrating a 3D sensing system, thermal camera, AI processing unit, and a proprietary haptic interface (“phyxel” array).
- Haptic Signal System: Developed real-time algorithms to convert spatial and object data into tactile signals, giving users a “remote sense of touch.”
- Thermal Feedback Integration: Introduced “thexel” elements for remote temperature sensing, enhancing environmental perception.
- Technical Validation: Conducted over 400 user trials in multiple countries. Results confirmed improved spatial awareness, obstacle detection (including head-level obstacles), and increased user confidence.
- Certification Achieved: Completed CE marking, ISO 13485 compliance, and classification as a Class I medical device.
- Pilot Programs: Validated technology in real-life environments including rehabilitation centers and blind associations.
The project confirmed that 7Sense offers a safe, intuitive, and non-auditory mobility aid with strong potential to replace or complement traditional tools like canes and guide dogs.
Key technical achievements include:
- Development of Wearable Hardware: Designed and built an ergonomic headband integrating a 3D sensing system, thermal camera, AI processing unit, and a proprietary haptic interface (“phyxel” array).
- Haptic Signal System: Developed real-time algorithms to convert spatial and object data into tactile signals, giving users a “remote sense of touch.”
- Thermal Feedback Integration: Introduced “thexel” elements for remote temperature sensing, enhancing environmental perception.
- Technical Validation: Conducted over 400 user trials in multiple countries. Results confirmed improved spatial awareness, obstacle detection (including head-level obstacles), and increased user confidence.
- Certification Achieved: Completed CE marking, ISO 13485 compliance, and classification as a Class I medical device.
- Pilot Programs: Validated technology in real-life environments including rehabilitation centers and blind associations.
The project confirmed that 7Sense offers a safe, intuitive, and non-auditory mobility aid with strong potential to replace or complement traditional tools like canes and guide dogs.
The 7Sense project has delivered a breakthrough in assistive technology by introducing the world’s first wearable system that provides blind and visually impaired users with a real-time “remote sense of touch” through haptic feedback. Unlike existing aids that rely on canes or audio cues, 7Sense enables users to feel their surroundings—detecting shape, motion, distance, and even temperature—through a discreet head-worn device.
Key Results:
- Remote Haptic Perception: A novel, patented system of “phyxels” (physical pixels) provides high-resolution spatial feedback directly to the user's skin.
- Thermal Sensing Integration: “Thexel” elements add remote temperature detection—enhancing situational awareness.
- Real-Time AI Processing: Intelligent algorithms convert sensor data into intuitive tactile signals, with minimal cognitive load.
- Wearable, Ergonomic Design: Lightweight, comfortable headband suitable for everyday indoor and outdoor mobility.
Potential Impacts:
- Scientific: Advances in haptics, sensory substitution, and neuroplasticity research.
- Societal: Improved independence and quality of life for millions of visually impaired individuals worldwide.
- Economic: Creation of a new assistive tech market segment with scalability across healthcare, smart wearables, and human-machine interfaces.
Key Needs for Further Uptake:
- Cost Reduction: R&D into mass-manufacturing methods to lower unit cost for broader affordability.
- International Market Access: Local regulatory support (e.g. FDA approval) and adaptation to non-EU reimbursement systems.
- IPR and Standardisation: Further patent protection and engagement with standard-setting bodies to support future device interoperability.
- Commercialisation Support: Strategic partnerships with distributors, blind associations, and health tech providers to scale adoption.
Key Results:
- Remote Haptic Perception: A novel, patented system of “phyxels” (physical pixels) provides high-resolution spatial feedback directly to the user's skin.
- Thermal Sensing Integration: “Thexel” elements add remote temperature detection—enhancing situational awareness.
- Real-Time AI Processing: Intelligent algorithms convert sensor data into intuitive tactile signals, with minimal cognitive load.
- Wearable, Ergonomic Design: Lightweight, comfortable headband suitable for everyday indoor and outdoor mobility.
Potential Impacts:
- Scientific: Advances in haptics, sensory substitution, and neuroplasticity research.
- Societal: Improved independence and quality of life for millions of visually impaired individuals worldwide.
- Economic: Creation of a new assistive tech market segment with scalability across healthcare, smart wearables, and human-machine interfaces.
Key Needs for Further Uptake:
- Cost Reduction: R&D into mass-manufacturing methods to lower unit cost for broader affordability.
- International Market Access: Local regulatory support (e.g. FDA approval) and adaptation to non-EU reimbursement systems.
- IPR and Standardisation: Further patent protection and engagement with standard-setting bodies to support future device interoperability.
- Commercialisation Support: Strategic partnerships with distributors, blind associations, and health tech providers to scale adoption.