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Panda Guide

Project description

Innovative headset to empower the visually impaired

Blindness and vision impairment greatly limit people’s mobility and ability to function comfortably in society. The EU-funded PANDA Guide project aims to provide the visually impaired with the means to navigate, socialise and confidently engage in daily activities. It will develop a wearable multifunctional headset, fitted with cameras and sensors. The cameras capture images of the environment that are then translated into haptic feedbacks and voice instructions (via built-in speakers) to the wearer. This will enable users to engage with their environment while maintaining the ability to hear audible sounds. The headset will enhance the quality of life for the visually impaired and will be fully adaptable to future software applications.

Objective

Visual impairment entails various risks making people experiencing difficulties leaving the security of their homes which results in vicious circles. Sight loss is linked to increased risk of depression, reduced quality of life, declining physical health, decreased mobility, higher rates of poverty than in the general population. Visually impaired people face various challenges in their daily lives ranging from navigation outside well-known environments, engaging relationships, practicing a profession or even accessing modern technology mainly based on touchscreens.

ESTHESIX was officially founded in 02/2017 by a complementary team experienced in entrepreneurship, AI and electronical engineering. We believe everyone deserves to see and therefore we are developing a ground-breaking wearable technology called “PANDA Guide” which will allow all visually impaired (partially sighted people + blind people) to navigate, to socialize and to engage in all daily life activities.

PANDA will disrupt the market by offering a multifunctional device that not only provides navigation guidance, but help to learn, earn a living, socialize and have fun. PANDA is multifunctional headset to be placed around the neck with a discreet earpiece. The camera captures the surrounding environment in full 3D and images are converted into intuitive sounds (abstract sounds and semantic speech) transmitted via bone conduction. Our headset has already been validated by over 200 visually impaired people. PANDA is a medical device fully open to the development of third-party software which will have the opportunity to imagine various new uses for our headset.

SME Instrument will allow to rise up expectations to have visually impaired people live better, think wider and achieve further. PANDA will provide evidences that visually impaired people can have outstanding jobs and achieve critical missions by carrying out a stunning blow: launching the first Panda-assisted blind astronaut to Space by 2024!

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020

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Coordinator

ESTHESIX
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 50 000,00
Address
3 RUE DU LENDEMAIN
95800 Cergy
France

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SME

The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.

Yes
Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Val-d’Oise
Activity type
Private for-profit entities (excluding Higher or Secondary Education Establishments)
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 71 429,00
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