Farmer Noah and Bandmaster Stevie

dxdt  Engineering and Research, LLC has developed a brand new system and method for training blind children and adults to master their environments.

In the children’s version of this system, eight electronic “farm animals” are positioned randomly within a room or any indoor or outdoor environment..

There are four different types of farm animals.  The orientation and mobility (O&M) trainee is challenged to find the pairs of animals.

When one animal is found, and tapped with a cane, it makes the sound of the animal it represents. The system registers the animal.

If the next animal the trainee “finds” is the same kind of animal, those animals have been paired and are taken out of play (they are put on the ark).

The process is repeated until all of the animals have been paired and placed on the ark. The system records the time required to locate all of the pairs of animals.

The paths between the animals are characterized by different objects, scents, sounds and sensations that most sighted people take for granted.

While the trainee is completing the exercise- which seems like a game - our system is challenging and training them to detect and use all of the characteristics of the environment to make mental maps that they can then use to navigate with more safety and confidence.

So, what are these non-visual cues?

The non-visual cues will be different for different environments. They will include:

• The edges of carpets
• Furniture legs
• Door jams
• Radiant heat through windows
• Cool drafts through windows
• Sounds of household utilities
• Moving air through air vents
• Scents of plants, polishes, or foods

The list goes on and on.

Our system trains the Blind to use these cues like navigation beacons in their surroundings.

• Smartphone App-supported
• Compact, nestable units that are
• Easy to transport.
• Easy on batteries
• Battery health reporting
• Selectable between “Farmer Noah” for children and the adult version “Bandmaster Stevie