Optic device offers aid to visually impaired swimmers
A navigation aid that allows visually impaired competitive swimmers to train safely has been developed by a product design student at Loughborough University.
The product, developed by final year product design student Mirthe Hofstede, removes the need for a ‘tapper’, a person such as a coach who warns a swimmer when they are close to the edge of the pool, or when they need to turn, by tapping them with a long foam-ended pole. If a signal is given too early or late, it can lead to a swimmer being disqualified or injured.
“Optic will give visually impaired swimmers the confidence to push their bodies to the very limit in competition and training without the uncertainty of not knowing where they are,” Hofstede said in a statement.
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Using infrared beams and ultrasonic technology, Optic detects a swimmer’s distance away from the pool wall and whether they are swimming in the middle of the lane.
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