Post 7: Video Demo

Feedback:
"Regarding the robot, I'd love to meet and chat with you when I'm back in Seattle, and I might write a longer email later. But my initial thoughts and concerns regarding your product are that it might be too complicated a solution chasing too small a problem. The R&D, the cost, etc., simply wouldn't be cost-effective in most blind people's consideration. I think there's potential for a robot helper, though. I just think rearranging things might not be a very ambitious goal for it to solve."  - Vic, a blind person, and a student in a disability RSO here at UW

"Regarding strategies for keeping thing organized, we do a few things. Intentionally choose brands and bottles that feel different in hand so we can find them easily. We also put braille labels or other sorts of scannable stickers on the bottles. The rest is simply knowing the kitchen very well, having good memory of where you put things and making sure that anybody who's using it is aware that a blind person uses that kitchen, so they shouldn't move things willy nilly. I understand that none of those things specifically do the same thing your robot proposes to do, but if you'd ask me for one, a much more low tech and cheaper option exist in my opinion. Just have some sort of attachment, like the Apple air tag. Put each of those on different things and make apps that can trigger each of them to sound a tone. Maybe choose different tone or recorded words for different bottles. If you tell me more about that robot, I might have more to say, but as is, I think it is a pretty cumbersome solution that proposes to solve things blind people already solve through life style habits and could be solved by some other low tech stuff. Now if you want to make a guide dog robot, that's another story. There's already a competitor in that market though, Glidance, but there's only one so far and they could use a competition. I'll be back in Seattle on the 1st of next month, would be very happy to meet in person." - Vic, a blind person, and a student in a disability RSO here at UW