Compiled by Dylan Bettencourt
- Khalifa Aminu’s smart glasses use sensors, GPS and AI to help blind users detect obstacles and find their location.
- The technology is still being developed and has not been proven to replace canes or other established mobility aids.
A 20-year-old Nigerian inventor is developing smart glasses that could help blind people move around more independently.
Khalifa Aminu, from Kano, recently showed the latest version of his invention on X.
The glasses combine artificial intelligence, sensors and GPS technology.
They can detect objects in front of the person wearing them and warn the user about obstacles.
A GPS feature can also tell users where they are.
If someone gets lost, Aminu said their location could be sent to a caregiver through WhatsApp or email.
He is now developing another version that combines AI with voice technology, Moneycontrol reported.
The goal is for the glasses to describe what is around the user instead of only giving warning sounds.
Aminu began working on the idea after seeing visually impaired people in his community struggle to move around.
He started with cheaper electronics and locally available parts instead of expensive laboratory equipment.
An earlier version used ultrasonic and infrared sensors to detect obstacles.
A visually impaired man tested the prototype and suggested making it smaller, adding a wireless switch and replacing warning sounds with clearer voice instructions.
Aminu used that feedback to improve the design.
The latest version adds AI, GPS and possible voice interaction.
But the technology is still being developed.
There is not yet enough independent technical evidence to show the glasses can reliably replace a cane, guide or other established mobility aid in every situation.
Aminu is largely self-taught and has also worked on agricultural equipment, radio technology and other electronic projects.
Pictured above: Khalifa Aminu.
Image source: Khalifa Aminu/Facebook
