For Dan Smith his life changed when he and his twin brother Michael were stuck down by Leber’s Optic Neuropathy, an extremely rare condition that leads to a loss of vision as a result of the death of cells in the optic nerve. This causes it to stop relying vital information to the brain. For Dan this likely meant that he couldn’t ride his bike anymore.
But the 21-year-old student at the University of Bristol still took part in a unique challenge earlier this month when he sought out to navigate a mountain bike course! Dan, who has only seven percent vision, was able to ride the course using “bat echolocation” technology that involved taking a standard mountain bike and fitting it with technology that included an UltraCane electronic mobility aid. This essentially copied the navigation abilities of bats and allowed the user to build a “mind map” of the surroundings, by warning users of obstacles in the path as well as head height through tactile signals received through the handles. Continue reading Blind Student Uses “Bat Echolocation” Technology to Mountain Bike