RoboBusiness Pitchfire winner Glidance helping sight-impaired individuals regain independence

In this episode, we learn about the innovative solution from Glidance, the 2023 RoboBusiness Pitchfire winner.

Glidance CEO Amos Miller (center) was surrounded by the RoboBusiness Pitchfire judges after winning the event.

Cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman sit down with Glidance co-founder and CEO Amos Miller to learn all about the genesis of the company and its physical guidance robot. The device guides sight-impaired individual by perceiving the world around them and leading them on a safe path to their destination. This device is easy to use and quick to learn, and Amos is promising to restore the independence of sight-impaired individuals. Amos lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s.

Glidance is a member of MassRobotics and launched in the shared workspace in January 2023. As Amos describes in the podcast, the company started with an idea and quickly prototyped “Wizard of Oz” style. “It’s inspiring to have startups like Guidance in our community,” said Joyce Sidopoulos, chief of operations at MassRobotics. “Their technology is revolutionizing accessibility and a testament to the positive impact technology and robotics can have on people’s lives and our society.”

an illustration of an individual using the Glidance solution.

Glide has a small form factor and is designed to have a price tag similar to a cell phone. | Credit: Glidance

While guide dogs are a tremendous solution and companion for blind individuals, unfortunately, the need far outstrips the number of available guide dogs in any given year. The Glidance robot has the opportunity to help blind individuals regain independence and agency, especially those who lose their sight late in life. The Glide unit goes into beta testing in the middle of 2024 and promises to be as affordable as a new cell phone.

If you would like to learn more, go to the Glidance website: https://glidance.io/

The company will also be exhibiting at CES 2024, in the Eureka Park exhibit hall.

Episode timeline

18:36 Interview with Amos Miller, CEO and co-founder of Glidance

News of the week

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Tesla demonstrates Optimus Gen 2 dexterity, recalls 2M vehicles
- Tesla released a video showing the improving capabilities of its Optimus humanoid robot, but it faces safety scrutiny over Autopilot.
- BAD NEWS:
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  - When Tesla first announced the feature, some drivers recorded themselves with their hands off the steering wheel, and critics have asserted that the company didn’t clearly state the risks of relying too heavily on Autopilot.
  - In February, Tesla issued a voluntary recall of 363,000 Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y vehicles.
  - The NHTSA has reviewed 956 crashes in which Autopilot was allegedly in use, reported The Wall Street Journal. The agency expressed concern about the software and its use rather than Tesla’s reliance on vision over lidar. The Washington Post said that at least eight incidents resulted in fatalities or serious injuries.