I am sure that I had a different approach to everyone else because I messed up on last week’s assignment. I missed the whole concept of creating something new, and I knew that I had to go back to the drawing board sooner or later. On the other hand, I thought it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about my dad’s matter and incorporate it into my new design.
First, I had a friend introduce the idea of having an Amazon Alexa in the house. My dad affirmed that it was a great idea. Still, it would only help him at home, and the real issue was when he was facing the outside world. I thought this was the perfect time to ask my stepfather some questions. Here are the most impactful questions with his response’s:
What is the hardest part about being blind?
“Most of the time, I have to rely on you or your mom to locate things for me. But when I am outside, I have no sense of direction. I feel lost! It is terrifying because that is when I am in my most vulnerable state, and anyone can take advantage of me”.
Why was that hard / what were the consequences?
“It feels like I am useless, and I cannot do things by myself. If I were to do things like putting on my clothes, I could easily look like a clown and mix-match colors. I can easily lose things. If I were outside by myself, I could easily get lost.”
What don’t you love about the solutions you’ve tried?
“I do not like the fact that I have to always depend on someone else to help me. I can never do things on my own.”.
After having that conversation, I went back to the drawing board. I began to connect ideas: My stepfather’s most helpful tool as a blind person is a white cane. What if I create a device that attaches to a white cane and uses voice control and video technology? The smart white cane will be equipped with built-in speakers and built-in voice control (Just like the Alexa). It would include a GPS and a video camera. The video camera would consist of a color detector function that would help my stepfather get dressed by pointing the camera to the clothes. The device will articulate the color of the clothing item. The video camera will also include a role in which a representative would connect to the device’s camera. This will allow the representative to communicate to the user via sound with GPS directions or any personal assistance that one may need. The device would also include a sensor that sends vibrations to warn my stepfather if they are obstacles in his way.
What do you guys think ?
I can definitely see the benefits of the added features and development of your product for your stepfather. After the interview, I can tell you were more aware of what your stepfather needed and what other products were missing that led to your customer not being completely satisfied which is what helped you think of a better product for this problem.