Scientists have created a robot that can replace a guide dog (7 photos + 1 video)

The future is already somewhere nearby: it is possible that guide dogs will soon be replaced by robot dogs. Experts from the University of Glasgow have developed a four-legged robot that can replace a guide and help blind and visually impaired people move more freely.





Experts from the University of Glasgow have developed RoboGuide, a four-legged robotic dog with artificial intelligence that can replace guide dogs. This robot will help blind and visually impaired people move more freely in museums, shopping centers, hospitals and other public places. It is equipped with a number of sensors to accurately display and assess the surrounding environment, and can build optimal routes to avoid collisions with moving obstacles.



The robot is also able to understand speech, answer questions and give hints along the way. It was tested for the first time in December at the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow with blind and partially sighted volunteers. The robot successfully helped volunteers navigate the museum and provided interactive voice guidance for six different exhibits. Now, the developers say, their goal is to develop a complete system that "can be adapted to robots of all shapes and sizes to help blind and visually impaired people in a variety of indoor situations."





There are an estimated 2.2 billion people in the world with some form of vision loss - and a robot could make it much easier for them to get around. The development of RoboGuide is supported by the Forth Valley Sensory Center Foundation and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) in Scotland. According to the creators, they have so far presented only a prototype, but they are going to release a full version of the robot in the coming years.