There is new hope for those who are blind or have very limited vision. Two researchers at the Technical University of Munich in Germany have created a device that uses infrared technology to help blind people navigate the world around them more easily.

A research by Manuel Zahn and Armaghan Ahmad Khan is not yet peer reviewed and represents a breakthrough in the use of a 3D camera and haptic feedback armband, writes Futurism.

"Even in the present age, people with visual impairments face a constant navigation challenge. The most easily accessible tool is the cane. Although the cane allows good detection of objects in the immediate vicinity of users, it does not have the ability to detect more distant obstacles," notes the study cited by Zap Aieu.

The new device uses a pair of infrared cameras inserted into prototype 3D printed glasses that capture a stereoscopic image that a computer uses to create a map of the surrounding area. However, since they used infrared, the glasses have the limitation that they will not work in the dark.

The armband uses 25 actuators on a grid that vibrate to help users understand how close objects are, as well as their orientation. If a user is heading toward an obstacle, the intensity of the vibration gradually increases.

In the tests that have already been done, the volunteers achieved an accuracy of 98% while navigating obstacle paths. All five participants were able to complete the obstacle course on the first attempt. After three attempts, all improved and were able to complete the path faster.

The study often used Microsoft's Kinect, a motion-detecting system that adds settings to XBOX games, as a reference point. Both are confident that the new invention will be smaller, less conspicuous, and cheaper to produce than the Kinect.

The efficiency that tests have shown so far makes this alternative very promising for those with visual impairments. The fact that you don't have to wear headphones in your ears that block other senses is also a plus point.