Archive · 25 Jun 2025
Mozambican Robotics Student Designs Smart Glasses for Visually Impaired
Imagine glasses that help blind people "see" by feeling the world around them.
A student in Mozambique is building these special glasses.
They use sensors to find things in the way, like trees or walls, and then they vibrate to warn the person wearing them.
The student was inspired to help after seeing someone struggle to walk.
The glasses are still being improved, but they could make a big difference, allowing people to be more independent and helping them to avoid accidents.
A Mozambican robotics student is developing smart glasses to aid the visually impaired.
The glasses use sensors to detect obstacles and provide warning vibrations.
The student, Joao Antonio Rego, was inspired after witnessing a visually impaired woman's fall.
The current prototype, Vision Hope 0.2, has a 120-degree range and improved sensors.
The inventor aims to produce and distribute the glasses throughout Mozambique.
- Who
- Joao Antonio Rego, a robotics student, is the inventor; Armando Ernesto Chau is a user.
- What
- A robotics student is developing smart glasses to assist visually impaired people.
- When
- The project started in 2021, with the latest prototype in development.
- Where
- In Mozambique, specifically Matola and Maputo.
- Why
- To provide visually impaired individuals with greater independence and mobility.
Needs of Visually Impaired Users
Technical Challenges
Features
Needs of Visually Impaired Users
Desire for roadside verification and obstacle identification systems.
Technical Challenges
The current version provides obstacle detection through vibrations and alerts.
- Inventor
- Joao Antonio Rego
- Age of Inventor
- 24
- Objective
- Assist the visually impaired
- Current Prototype
- Vision Hope 0.2
- Vision Loss in Mozambique
- Nearly 2.7 million people
- Awards
- Mozambique's Young Creative Award