dai11y 31/03/2021

Your daily frequent11y newsletter, brought to you by @ChrisBAshton:

Wearable tech helps this blind runner compete in ultramarathons

  • In 2017, Englishman Simon Wheatcroft was the first blind person to run the New York City Marathon solo, without being tethered to a sighted running guide. He managed this by wearing a “Wayband” on his wrist; the device has built-in GPS and vibrates to keep the wearer on a set path.
  • Simon collaborated with New York based startup WearWorks to develop a prototype of the band in 2016, and the product is set to launch officially this year.
  • It is hoped that the band will enable blind users to “travel independently and discreetly” without audio instructions, which could help them explore unfamiliar places by themselves.

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