This idea is something I wish someone would implement. I don’t have the capacity or knowledge to produce and manufacture this but I would gladly help anyone who does.
The idea has 2 parts. The first part is a device located on or near the head of the person and is used to scan the environment (there are various technologies that can serve as a radar needed for this idea). The second part is a glove like device that contains many small metal needles. The data from the radar is translated into a 3D model by displaced needles and lets a person feel with his or her hand the exact contours of the environment around him or her. Some optimizations are scale tuning where the person using the device can set for example if a centimeter on the device represents one meter or ten meters in the actual immediate surroundings.
This device can be visualized as creating a small scale doll-house that represents the house around the person. The person can feel the miniature chairs and tables in the model in an in-house environment as well as doors, branches, trees, stairs, cars etc. on the outside. As the person moves, the 3D image created by the needles change and shifts in real time.
The environment 3D data can be scanned directly or obtained through a combination of GPS (outdoors) and Bluetooth / radio / wireless / RFID or other data sources.
Anyone that wants and has the resources to implement this or further define the idea please contact me.
