How did these blind hikers manage to cross a French mountain range?

Five blind hikers have trekked through the Vosges mountain ranges in France, using white canes and an innovative new invention, that could ultimately improve the lives of millions of visually impaired people.

Five blind or visually impaired hikers trekked through les Vosges using white cane and an innovative GPS system. (FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Five blind or visually impaired hikers trekked through les Vosges using white cane and an innovative GPS system. (FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images) Source: AFP

The hikers followed the guidance of the Navi'Rando app during the six-day journey, walking 80kms through the Vosges mountain ranges. 

The app works like an ordinary GPS system, but also provides detailed instructions for those who are visually-impaired.

"The thing that's still difficult is using the cane to locate the exact direction of the trail," said Jean-Claude Heim, 63, who has been blind since birth. 

"You really have to concentrate." Nicolas Linder, 30, told AFP using the device was a liberating experience.

"It's fantastic to rediscover your sense of freedom," he said.

Navi'Rando was created by researchers at Strasbourg University in France. It is one of many technologies being developed to help those living with vision impairments.

According to team member Laurence Rasseneur, it's not the first GPS system of its kind, but it is "the first to use inertial measurement units (IMUs) to refine the GPS signal and regularly recalculate the itinerary".

"We hope this technology will help change people's perceptions about the handicap and improve employment opportunities for the visually impaired," she said.

Jesus Zegarra, an electronics engineer who has worked on the project for five years, added that "the next step is to make sure this system will work anywhere, even in places where it can't pick up a GPS signal."

The project is still in its infancy, but the researchers hope to train more blind or partially blind people on how to use the device.

"The challenge is not technological, it's human," said Ms Rasseneur. "It's a cultural revolution so we need pioneers to show that it's possible."



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