It doesn’t have fur and won’t fetch a ball. It runs on batteries, instead of dog food. But to the visually impaired, the GuideCane could give new meaning to the phrase "man’s best friend."

Developed by Johann Borenstein and fellow research scientists in the University of Michigan College of Engineering’s Mobile Robotics Laboratory, the GuideCane is a computerized, sonar-equipped navigation aid for the blind which detects obstacles in the user’s path and automatically steers around them.

The 8-pound GuideCane consists of a long handle with a thumb-operated joystick for direction control, an array of ultrasonic sensors and a small on-board computer mounted on a two-wheeled steering axle. The user pushes the GuideCane ahead of himself or herself with one hand. When the device’s ultrasonic sensors detect an obstacle in its path, the computer automatically turns the wheels to steer around the obstacle and resume the original direction of travel.

Borenstein says the GuideCane is easier to use than the traditional white cane, less expensive than a leader dog and is more convenient than other electronic navigation devices. It makes no sounds and requires no extensive training in its use. A preliminary version of the prototype was positively received by visually impaired persons who tested it, but more development will be required before the device is ready for widespread commercial use."

"You feel the steering change as a direct physical force through the handle, which makes it easy to follow the GuideCane’s path without any conscious effort," said Iwan Ulrich, the U-M graduate student who built the device. "Your body automatically follows the trajectory of the guide wheels just as a trailer follows a truck. Once the obstacle is cleared, the guide wheels resume their original direction."

Borenstein and Ulrich have built a working prototype of the GuideCane and the U-M has applied for several patents related to the device and is seeking corporate partners to assist with technical and commercial development.

Funding to support the initial research and development of the prototype was provided by the Whitaker Foundation, a private non-profit organization which supports research and education in biomedical engineering.