3 ms·

On the contrary: it's not naïve, it's far too advanced. This isn't a problem that needs to be solved with technology and by forcing people to wear a beeping dev

On the contrary: it's not naïve, it's far too advanced. This isn't a problem that needs to be solved with technology and by forcing people to wear a beeping device on their heads. You can just install a railing and make the environment safe for everyone. I suppose your solution would work as a stopgap, but it seems like poor design to make people adapt to human-made environments rather than building the environments in a way that works for everyone.

tudorw 10y ago
while I agree that the best solution is a better environment, you could fit the sensor to the obstacle, and have it beep when something comes close :P
- TheGrumpyBrit 10y ago
  That comes with all the additional requirements of a technological solution - power, maintenance, reliability etc. A simple barrier will continue to work even after the local kids have tagged it.
- vacri 10y ago
  I would not want to live/work/sit near such a thing.
  - pc86 10y ago
    Great, now we're going to see random beeping devices places around SF where people don't want the homeless to congregate.
Turing_Machine 10y ago
"This isn't a problem that needs to be solved with technology and by forcing people to wear a beeping device on their heads. You can just install a railing and make the environment safe for everyone" One problem with the "just install a railing" approach is that the environment changes. New stuff gets built. Temporary obstacles appear where there were none before. Not all obstacles are human-made (think about walking through the woods -- there will be no railings there, to be sure). Another problem with it is that the person who benefits (the blind person) is not the same person as the one who must be relied on to alleviate the problem and foot the bill. Also, why is wearing the headgear "forcing" while using a cane is not? I don't think anyone's being "forced" to do anything in either situation.
- x1798DE 10y ago
  I think another reason why "just install a railing" doesn't address the problem if you can't see, you're counting on everyone else realizing the problem and fixing it with a railing, whereas a head-mounted collision-avoidance system works whether or not anyone else realizes there's a problem. Ideally you'd have "defense in depth" such that your head-mounted collision avoidance system is just a fallback, but honestly it's one of those things where it would be best to take it into your own hands if possible.

tudorw 10y ago

while I agree that the best solution is a better environment, you could fit the sensor to the obstacle, and have it beep when something comes close :P

TheGrumpyBrit 10y ago
That comes with all the additional requirements of a technological solution - power, maintenance, reliability etc. A simple barrier will continue to work even after the local kids have tagged it.
vacri 10y ago
I would not want to live/work/sit near such a thing.
- pc86 10y ago
  Great, now we're going to see random beeping devices places around SF where people don't want the homeless to congregate.

Turing_Machine 10y ago

"This isn't a problem that needs to be solved with technology and by forcing people to wear a beeping device on their heads. You can just install a railing and make the environment safe for everyone" One problem with the "just install a railing" approach is that the environment changes. New stuff gets built. Temporary obstacles appear where there were none before. Not all obstacles are human-made (think about walking through the woods -- there will be no railings there, to be sure). Another problem with it is that the person who benefits (the blind person) is not the same person as the one who must be relied on to alleviate the problem and foot the bill. Also, why is wearing the headgear "forcing" while using a cane is not? I don't think anyone's being "forced" to do anything in either situation.

x1798DE 10y ago
I think another reason why "just install a railing" doesn't address the problem if you can't see, you're counting on everyone else realizing the problem and fixing it with a railing, whereas a head-mounted collision-avoidance system works whether or not anyone else realizes there's a problem. Ideally you'd have "defense in depth" such that your head-mounted collision avoidance system is just a fallback, but honestly it's one of those things where it would be best to take it into your own hands if possible.