Ruim Sensory Enhancing Headset

Translating the environment into physical sensation.

Ruim is a sensory enhancing headset designed to help people who are blind or visually impaired navigate unfamiliar environments through touch and temperature.

The concept translates spatial and visual information into a physical interface, allowing the wearer to interpret obstacles, proximity and colour through haptic vibrations and controlled temperature changes.

DESIGN

The headset was developed as a wearable platform positioned around key areas of the head and face. Its open structure accommodates an integrated network of sensors while maintaining a clear and balanced form.

Each contact point is positioned to communicate information from a corresponding direction, creating an intuitive relationship between the environment and the sensations experienced by the wearer.

SPATIAL AWARENESS

LiDAR emitters and receivers detect surrounding objects and obstacles. This spatial information is translated into haptic vibrations, helping the wearer understand distance and direction.

Infrared sensors provide more detailed close proximity tracking, increasing awareness of objects near the body.

TEMPERATURE INTERFACE

Two cameras observe colour within the surrounding environment. This information is translated into temperature fluctuations through integrated Peltier modules.

Warm colours generate heat, while cooler colours produce a cooling sensation. The location of each response indicates the direction of the observed colour, transforming visual information into a tactile experience.

APPLICATIONS

Ruim was conceived as an adaptable sensory platform with potential applications in assistive technology, medical environments and immersive gaming.

The project explores how information normally understood through sight could be reinterpreted through the body, creating new ways to experience and navigate the world.

2017