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Ford unveils smart window for blind passengers

Posted at 7:09 AM, May 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-03 10:09:49-04

Ford is showcasing a new window that lets passengers "feel" the view outside.

"Feel the View" aims to allow blind or partially-sighted people to visualise passing scenery through touch.

The smart window technology takes a photo of the scenery and converts the image into a high-contrast grayscale picture, which the window displays using LEDs.

Each shade of gray on the window vibrates at a different intensity, allowing blind passengers to visualize the landscape through touch.

An artificial intelligence-powered vocal assistant connected to the vehicle's speakers also gives a brief description of landscape features as passengers run their fingers over them.

Ford’s team in Italy developed Feel the View with Aedo, an Italian startup that makes devices for the visually impaired.

The smart window is still a prototype.