Microsoft has announced a major technology update to a partnership with British charity Guide Dogs involving smart headsets and an app that helps the visually impaired better navigate their surroundings using sound.
Two new experiences have been added to the software, which is part of Microsoft's Cities Unlocked project, with users now able to use either their voice or a physical remote to ask for and hear additional information about landmarks around them.
This works alongside navigation within the app that guides wearers to and around a destination using directional audio and sound prompts to help build a mental image.
The first prototype of the technology, which was unveiled last year, used a series of constant clicking sounds to guide wearers in the correct direction. Microsoft said the second phase had been re-designed to be more "descriptive rather than prescriptive".
Kate Riddle, one of the trialists of the new software, said using the device gave her more confidence.
"It takes out so much of the stress of being somewhere new," she said.
"That is massively empowering, and it makes the journey pleasurable rather than a chore. Rather than going out because you have to, this is a 'going out because I can'."
The new Orientate and Look Ahead features enable wearers to instantly find out what is immediately around them, as well as get more information about what's coming up, hearing it in distance order.
Cities Unlocked said research had found that around 180,000 registered blind people in the UK were not confident enough to leave their homes alone. But research conducted by Microsoft's partnership after their initial trial found that 62 per cent of participants had an increased feeling of safety and confidence.
The project was initially the idea of Microsoft executive Amos Miller, who is visually impaired and had previously worked for Guide Dogs, and who wanted to be able to be more active with his daughter.
Share
