The “white cane” that many blind people rely on for navigating the world hasn’t been upgraded in a century, but researchers are reporting progress on a “robo-cane” they hope will modernize the assistive device.

The prototype cane is equipped with a color 3D camera, sensors and an “on-board” computer designed to guide the user to a desired location — and avoid any obstacles along the way.

There are still issues to hammer out before the robotic cane is ready for the real world, according to lead researcher Cang Ye, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Engineering, in Richmond… Continue reading.