There are three components to the ultracane:-
A moulded handle housing the two ultrasonic beam sensors, two vibrating buttons and the battery compartment;
The carbon graphite cane shaft;
The cane tip.
The ultrasonic beam sensors are located in a pod at the front of the handle. The forward sensor is designed to detect obstacles at either two metres (ON short distance) or four metres (ON long distance) from the tip of the cane, depending on which setting is chosen. The upward sensor can identify obstacles above the cane at one and a half metres from the handle. The distance settings can be selected by moving the on-switch on the bottom of the handle into the appropriate position.
The closer to an object the sensor is, the quicker the pulse will be, giving a faster vibration through the buttons. Knowing the distance settings is vital if an Ultracane user is to fully understand the information being received. The settings are not clear and are made via the use of a sliding on/off switch which has no tactile or audio detail. Misuse of the settings would be confusing and further reliance would fall onto the tactile element of the Ultracane.
Both the cane shaft and tip can be changed to meet individual needs. Cane shafts come in various lengths in folding four-piece units that are only available in the symbolic white colour. More individual flexibility could be built into the Ultracane if other colours, such as red or blue, were available to cane users who did not want to use a white cane. The carbon graphite cane shafts are light weight and durable, which is good for keeping the overall weight of the Ultracane down and can be easily changed if damaged.
There are a number of options of cane tip with the ultracane: Push-on or hook type tips, pencil, roller and large roller tips. It depends on which cane skills are used, what type of tactile surfaces and in which environment the cane will be used.
The component elements of the Ultracane give a flexible option to enable a user to build their own cane to meet individual needs with guidance from a rehabilitation/mobility officer.
The handle is bulky to hold, but is not particularly heavy and can feel awkward and unbalanced if the wrong cane skills and cane length are used. Knowing what signals are being received and interpreting these correctly is essential, if the Ultracane is to fully function as a sonic mobility aid. Some ‘multi-tasking’ may be needed as information is being received via two vibrating buttons at the same time and actually differentiating between the two can be confusing if the principle of their use is not fully understood.
One Ultracane user recently told me that he found the sensors gave him information overload that was too confusing to understand. The sensors can be switched off and the cane used purely as a traditional long cane if necessary.
Good cane skills are necessary to get the best out of the Ultracane, for example the angle at which the cane is held, in order to get the sensors in the correct position to detect relevant obstacles, is very important. The use of the Ultracane in the traditional long cane technique is supported by the ultrasonic beams built into the handle of the cane, these work together to locate obstacles. Looking for silences or no vibration response may be the best way to plot a clear path with the ultracane, and perhaps too many people have got over excited and confused about the responses received and therefore how to get the best out of the Ultracane.
A moulded handle housing the two ultrasonic beam sensors, two vibrating buttons and the battery compartment;
The carbon graphite cane shaft;
The cane tip.
The ultrasonic beam sensors are located in a pod at the front of the handle. The forward sensor is designed to detect obstacles at either two metres (ON short distance) or four metres (ON long distance) from the tip of the cane, depending on which setting is chosen. The upward sensor can identify obstacles above the cane at one and a half metres from the handle. The distance settings can be selected by moving the on-switch on the bottom of the handle into the appropriate position.
The closer to an object the sensor is, the quicker the pulse will be, giving a faster vibration through the buttons. Knowing the distance settings is vital if an Ultracane user is to fully understand the information being received. The settings are not clear and are made via the use of a sliding on/off switch which has no tactile or audio detail. Misuse of the settings would be confusing and further reliance would fall onto the tactile element of the Ultracane.
Both the cane shaft and tip can be changed to meet individual needs. Cane shafts come in various lengths in folding four-piece units that are only available in the symbolic white colour. More individual flexibility could be built into the Ultracane if other colours, such as red or blue, were available to cane users who did not want to use a white cane. The carbon graphite cane shafts are light weight and durable, which is good for keeping the overall weight of the Ultracane down and can be easily changed if damaged.
There are a number of options of cane tip with the ultracane: Push-on or hook type tips, pencil, roller and large roller tips. It depends on which cane skills are used, what type of tactile surfaces and in which environment the cane will be used.
The component elements of the Ultracane give a flexible option to enable a user to build their own cane to meet individual needs with guidance from a rehabilitation/mobility officer.
The handle is bulky to hold, but is not particularly heavy and can feel awkward and unbalanced if the wrong cane skills and cane length are used. Knowing what signals are being received and interpreting these correctly is essential, if the Ultracane is to fully function as a sonic mobility aid. Some ‘multi-tasking’ may be needed as information is being received via two vibrating buttons at the same time and actually differentiating between the two can be confusing if the principle of their use is not fully understood.
One Ultracane user recently told me that he found the sensors gave him information overload that was too confusing to understand. The sensors can be switched off and the cane used purely as a traditional long cane if necessary.
Good cane skills are necessary to get the best out of the Ultracane, for example the angle at which the cane is held, in order to get the sensors in the correct position to detect relevant obstacles, is very important. The use of the Ultracane in the traditional long cane technique is supported by the ultrasonic beams built into the handle of the cane, these work together to locate obstacles. Looking for silences or no vibration response may be the best way to plot a clear path with the ultracane, and perhaps too many people have got over excited and confused about the responses received and therefore how to get the best out of the Ultracane.
No comments:
Post a Comment