Sonar Glasses can be a useful mobility tool for some people who are blind or visually impaired, though they are not meant as a replacement for a white cane or a guide dog. As described on the G-Technology Group website, the glasses "are designed to increase mobility independence for the blind and visually impaired. They complement the white cane and guide dog by detecting obstacles above waist level (such as tree limbs, signs, walls, people, low ceilings, etc.) Sonar Glasses technology is based on echolocation, similar to the way bats navigate in the dark. The glasses emit sound waves and measure the time to receive sound reflected by nearby objects."
Sonar Glasses are designed to detect objects in front of you from the level of your waist to the top of your head, and as wide as the breadth of your shoulders. If an object is within range, you will feel vibrations or hear a sound from the glasses' frame on the right side of your head.
Each order of Sonar Glasses is customized. There are four lens options, two model options, and a choice of whether the detection signal is a sound or silent vibration.
The four lens options are: clear lenses, dark lenses, prescription lenses, or photosensitive lenses. The photosensitive lenses get darker when outside in sunlight and lighter when indoors.
G-Technology Group makes two models of Sonar glasses, which are described later in this article.
The Sonar Glasses are not designed to be used in the rain.
Contents of Sonar Glasses Box
The box contains the Sonar Glasses, a battery charger, two adjustable ear locks, and two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
The Sonar Glasses
The Sonar Glasses have a black frame shaped similarly to a pair of wrap-around sunglasses, but they look more like science lab goggles. The frame does not have hinged arms and can't be folded. The glasses and lenses are made of plastic.
The frames are available in three sizes: small, medium, and large. According to a G-Technology Group representative, women usually choose small or medium and men choose medium and large. If the frames need adjustment, the glasses can be mailed back to G-Technology Group and adjusted at no cost.
Hearing aid users can get special frames that fit over hearing aids.
The thickest point of the front of the glasses, above the nose, measures .75 inch. This is where the sonar sending unit is located. The remainder of the frame, except over the ears but including towards the front of the glasses and along the sides, is approximately .5 inch thick.
The battery compartment is on the left frame, near the left temple. It is approximately 1.5 inches in length and 2 inches long. The on/off switch is on the top left front of the glasses. When you push the switch forward to turn the glasses on, you'll hear a beep. The glasses do not have an automatic shut off.
On the right side of the frame, near the right temple, is a small built-in vibration or sound making device. This area is roughly 2 inches long, 1 inch tall, and .5 inch wide. It fits neatly in the frame.
Ear Locks
The ear locks secure the glasses to your head and are made of a rubbery material. Each lock has a loop that slides onto one of the frame's earpieces. Hanging from the loop is a piece of rubber curved to fit the back of an ear. Slide the ear locks backwards or forwards until they comfortably hold the glasses to your head.
Batteries
Only one rechargeable battery at a time is needed. Each charge lasts approximately seven to nine hours. There is a piece of tape on the battery to help orient it correctly in the charger and in the glasses' battery compartment.
The Battery Charger
The charger has an open compartment on one side where the battery is inserted. The tape on the battery should be facing up and out. Line up the battery with the two prongs in the charger and press down.
On the other side of the charger is a recessed compartment with a flip-up AC plug. Flip the plug up to plug it into a 120-volt outlet. A full charge takes about two hours. Unplug the charger and remove the battery when done.
Getting Help
In addition to the included large-print instructions, G-Technology Group provides free step-by-step phone support to set up and use the glasses at 703-224-9895. There are links on the G-Technology website to download the instructions in MS Word and text format and listen to an audio version of the instruction manual. You can also request that instructions be emailed to you in PDF format. An OCR program can be used to scan and read the instructions. There is a demonstration video at G-disabilityproducts.com. This video doesn't talk about the Advanced glasses and not all actions, such as finding the plug in the battery charger, are described.
If you live in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, or Maryland area, at-home training is available at $45 per hour, including travel time.
At the time of this writing, the G-Technology Group website displayed some outdated and contradictory information that can be confusing. For example, the website indicates that the advanced Sonar Glasses come with a carrying case, but they do not. Cases are available for an additional $25 each. The video does not have current information. On one part of the website it says that prescription Sonar Glasses come with one battery and on another part it says that two batteries are included. The order form for the Basic Sonar Glasses has an option for choosing a detection signal, but the order form for the Advanced model does not. The website loads very slowly (both a Mac and a PC were used to check download time. Both Wi-Fi and hard wiring were used).
Basic Sonar Glasses and Advanced Sonar Glasses
G-Technology Group makes two models of Sonar glasses. The Basic model has a set range of six feet. When you are six feet away from an object, the glasses start to vibrate or sound. Once you are three feet from the object, the speed of vibration or beeps will increase. The Advanced Sonar Glasses let a user change the distance for when the glasses will start responding. Options are nine feet, six feet and three feet. When the distance is set to either six feet or nine feet, the glasses will vibrate or sound more rapidly once the object is three feet away. If the distance is set to three feet, the glasses will immediately start vibrating or playing the sound quickly. When the Advanced glasses are turned on, they are always automatically set to a distance of six feet.
On the right frame of the Advanced model, to the rear of the area that vibrates, on the side, and just in front of the ear lock, is a slight valley. To change the distance setting, place two fingers on the frame just past the valley. Tap three times, waiting one second between each tap. You will hear a beep when the distance is changed. You can also try tapping on the outside of the right frame of the vibration or sound compartment. Since the glasses default to six feet when turned on, changing the range once will make the distance nine feet and changing it once more will change the range to three feet.
Using the Sonar Glasses
I tested a pair of Advanced Sonar glasses. On the street, in addition to the glasses, I used a white cane to navigate. I used only the glasses inside the house. In another test, I used my guide dog to navigate outside, but each dog is different when it comes to handling high obstacles. Prior to testing the glasses, I spent time learning to use them and practiced walking around while wearing them. It is important that your head is facing the direction of travel.
Outdoors
An obstacle course was set up for me. Obstacles included branches from 1 to 3 inches in diameter, placed at heights ranging from the top of my head to my waist. A horizontal bar, approximately 1.25 inches in diameter, was set up at neck height. A 2-inch diameter vertical pipe was placed in front of me.
Since the glasses use sonar, rather than a camera, lighting conditions should not influence how well the glasses work. The glasses were tested in shade and sunlight; the lighting did not make a difference.
The Sonar Glasses were inconsistent. They did not alert to the bar or the pipe. They did better with the branches, but did not detect all of them. The glasses did detect some of the smaller branches, but also missed a couple of the larger ones.
At Home
The glasses worked better indoors, but they occasionally missed something.
They consistently detected closed doors and most of the time they detected partially closed doors. They detected an open refrigerator door and most open cabinets. Range was set to three feet.
Warranty
These glasses come with a one-year warranty and satisfaction guarantee. For $10 per month, a protection plan is also available. If the glasses are lost or stolen there is a $50 deductible per incident.
Additional accessories are available including a head strap and carrying case. Replacement parts including ear locks and batteries can also be purchased.
Conclusion
Although the Sonar Advanced Glasses results were inconsistent, they can be a useful adjunct to the white cane or guide dog. The Advanced version provides the most flexibility; the three-foot range can be very useful at home and in crowds.
At this time G-Technology Group does not have any plans to make any changes to the glasses. Although the Sonar Glasses can provide useful information, I would like to see improved accuracy. These glasses are a good idea, especially for someone wanting more information about their environment. Since the glasses currently cannot be used in the rain, fixing this problem would let users wear their glasses in any kind of weather. The website needs to be updated and less confusing.
Product Information
Products: Basic Sonar Glasses and Advanced Sonar Glasses
Prices: Basic: $195 and up, depending on the lenses; Advanced: $240 and up, depending on the lenses
Available from: G-Technology Group; 703-224-9895
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