Seattle-based startup Glidance has unveiled Glide, a smart navigator designed to help visually impaired people get around the city.

The gadget looks like a sturdy white cane on wheels: two 7.5-inch rubber wheels, an adjustable telescopic pole, and a comfortable ergonomic handle. Glide is equipped with a stereo depth camera with a range of up to 15 m, a number of sensors to detect obstacles and elevation changes, a speaker, a microphone, and a tactile feedback system.

The device operates in two modes: Directed, with voice instructions for the route, and Freestyle, where the device simply helps you move safely and avoid collisions. The developers are currently focusing their attention on the free navigation mode.

While moving, the user sets the pace themselves, and the wheels help them turn and stop when necessary. Glide emits vibration and voice signals to warn of turns and obstacles, both at ground level and above. A camera and computer vision system recognize doors, elevators, stairs, and crosswalks. The device weighs about 3.5 kg, runs on a battery for more than six hours, and is rainproof.

Glide is currently undergoing beta testing, and sales will start in the spring. The device will cost $1,499 and will also require a monthly subscription of $30 for updates and navigation with an AI assistant