10106230Repairability enhancements for a safety/socially critical electromechanical navigational aid for visually impaired personsClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKIn recent years the technology required to localise a person in space with centimetre-level precision has matured e.g. Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping, Computer Vision and highly accurate GPS. Despite the obvious applications in helping blind persons navigate, these _AI-driven localisation_ technologies have not found widespread use within the vision-impaired community. This is because communicating enough navigation information to someone who cannot see a screen has previously been impossible. Audio and vibration cues do not provide the fidelity that is required to enable independent wayfinding. Thus, of the 292,000 blind people in the UK, 40% cannot make necessary journeys and 50% need support leaving the house. This is where MakeSense comes in, a robotics start-up founded by a team of post-doctoral researchers from Imperial College in July 2021\. MakeSense has developed a remarkable new capability to efficiently communicate 3D spatial information via the sense of touch. Formal scientific trials with blind volunteers in March 2023 demonstrated efficacy which is more comparable to natural sight than to vibration or audio cues. Trials were done to a peer-review standard at Imperial College London, in collaboration with Bravo Victor, a sight loss charity. Combining our patented _haptic interface_ with AI-driven localisation technologies, we have demonstrated a capacity for totally autonomous navigation. However, due to the electromechanical complexity of this device, the size/weight constraints and the prolonged periods of use (associated with the VIP using the device all day), the aid is subject to significant durability and design for repair challenges. MakeSense has been able to develop a functional product that is proven to benefit VIPs. MakeSense urgently needs to conduct a programme of design for durability, lifecycle optimisation and design for repair to ensure that VIPs can be supplied with a navigational aid that is reliable in use but also suitable for rapid repair/servicing in the field or repair centre. MakeSense is seeking _Design Foundations: Repairability_ investment to conduct a fundamental reliability review for the current device in consultation with design of durability experts (Astrimar). After this review MakeSense will work with experienced industrial designers to incorporate fundings. This will help ensure our product is both dependable and easily repairable. We hope to boost employment opportunities and enhance the quality of life of the blind community. Simultaneously, the project aligns with governmental priorities, seeking to reduce the economic burden of blindness and promote a fairer society.