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Can this robot help solve a guide dog shortage?

MACK DEGEURIN

POPULAR SCIENCE

Mar 11, 2024

Glidance CEO Amos Miller is one of an estimated 253 million people worldwide who live with a moderate to severe vision impairment. The overwhelming majority of those people currently navigate through the world without access to highly trained guide dogs or difficult to master walking canes. Miller, who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa when he was five and has since lost most of his sight, believes his company’s autonomous guide robot could offer a solution to that mammoth accessibility gap. At just five pounds, Miller says “Glide” can spot obstacles and safely navigate blind people to their destinations, all at a fraction of the cost it takes to train and maintain highly specialized guide dogs.