WeWALK Impressions Quick Start Manual Download

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Introduction

Thanks to FITA (Foundation for Information Technology) I had the opportunity
to try the WeWalk Smart Cane with obstacle detection for a few days in my
environment. I was excited to learn more about this new cane in a hands-on
way.

I think I should mention that I am legally blind, but I would still consider myself
partially sighted with some remaining peripheral vision.

In this document, I will give you my thoughts and impressions about this new
device.

Summary of Contents for Impressions

Page 1: ... 2021 Jutta Miroiu Dunker 1 Impressions WeWalk Smart Cane ...

Page 2: ...x 4 Assembling the Cane 5 First Feel 6 The Handle 7 Top 7 Back Side 8 Front Side 8 The App 9 Touchpad and Gestures 9 Sound and Sounds 9 Navigation Options 10 Explore 10 GPS and Location 10 Transport 11 Obstacle Detection 11 Conclusion 13 Things I Would Like to See Improved 13 ...

Page 3: ...Cane with obstacle detection for a few days in my environment I was excited to learn more about this new cane in a hands on way I think I should mention that I am legally blind but I would still consider myself partially sighted with some remaining peripheral vision In this document I will give you my thoughts and impressions about this new device ...

Page 4: ...2021 Malta Society of the Blind 4 What s in the Box Upon opening I first found the User Manual as a normally printed booklet and two sheets with instructions a quick guide printed and embossed in braille ...

Page 5: ... a foldable white cane to assemble with the handle an adapter to use the WeWalk handle with your own cane a USB charging cable and a faux leather sleeve for the handle Assembling the Cane I was fighting a little bit with the assembly because the ends of the elastic strip somehow made it difficult to thread the cane into the handle ...

Page 6: ...ideration for using the adapter First Feel The handle feels solid and the roller tip is swiveling freely The cane part feels sturdy With about 250 g the WeWalk handle is rather heavy Thanks to its cylindric shape the handle rest well in the palm of my hand It will fit for smaller and bigger hands When lifting the assembled cane it is much heavier than my normal long white cane Maybe for the heavy ...

Page 7: ...first segment to get it out for folding The Handle Top The user manual warns you that in case of heavy or prolonged rain you should switch the handle off and protect it immediately to avoid malfunction and or damage The handle cover is supposed to be waterproof but I did not test it The USB port is not covered and or designed in a way that it would be protected against water and or dust ...

Page 8: ... would not accidentally touch it Front Side On the front of the handle there are two switch like buttons where you should place your thumb to get a better haptic feedback when the cane is vibrating Below this is a touchpad for navigating though the app and other functions built in in the handle itself Then there is the main feature of the cane the ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection Finally t...

Page 9: ...airing the system prompted me to go through a tutorial how to use the cane s touchpad and to learn the touchpad gestures used for opening and closing the app navigating through the menus and switching the LED light on or off Some gestures like sound on off and LED on off would require holding the cane with one hand and perform the gesture with two fingers of the other hand This might not always be...

Page 10: ...l e g go north west or like hours on an analog clock e g 11 clock would indicate to go slightly left I personally like this clock wise navigation Explore The Explore function lists places like shops cafes etc near you It is however not as comprehensive as e g Google Maps and missed many shops and food places in my immediate vicinity GPS and Location Location precision is an issue not only with the...

Page 11: ...uld hear the ultrasound because he got away from me immediately when I switched the cane on When it detects an obstacle the handle starts vibrating If you place your thumb on the two little buttons on the upper side of the handle the vibration can be felt a bit better in your finger The detection range apparently can be set in the app s preferences but I could not figure the real difference betwee...

Page 12: ...the street Moving the WeWalk for obstacle detection on street level is more difficult than with my normal cane because of the weight and the strain I felt in my hand When scanning with the cane using constant contact technique the contact vibration is much stronger than with my normal cane Besides that I had the feeling it was not as sturdy but that could be because I tried to move it extra carefu...

Page 13: ...can easily use other apps on my smartphone especially given that I would have to connect earphones in either case Besides that there are blind visually impaired persons who do not have a smartphone so the app functions could not be used Things I Would Like to See Improved Water dust protected handle and its elements Less weight of the handle Less contact vibration in the cane itself Shorter but mo...

Page 14: ...ty of the Blind 14 If any possible different vibration and or sound for obstacles at different heights upper body head WeWalk functionality fully integrated in handle no need for smartphone using mobile data connection ...

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