Technology has always swooped in and brought solutions for the problems that appeared to be too colossal to be solved before. Whether it is the field of transportations, sustainability, industrial, or medical, technology has managed to save the day for everyone. A similar modernization in the field has enabled visually impaired people to play badminton.
Eyes and vision are a blessing, and one cannot relate or imagine the difficulty in functioning that may arise when the vision gets impaired or hampered due to any reason. It is restrictive and problematic. Scientists and researchers have figured out a way to aid those who face problems with their vision. This innovation will help normalize the daily lives of the visually impaired and enable them to participate in different activities that might have been difficult earlier.
Previous innovations that have helped bring inclusivity in technology included the project of making blind people able to read 3D maps. Besides that, they also made robodogs to guide them with the help of the use of lasers. Now, they will be able to play badminton.
The breakthrough was carried out by the researchers and scientists at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. The equipment consists of a drone ball that makes noise and is also slow so the visually impaired can detect and sense the motion and direction of the machine. Once it comes close to their rackets, the rackets also have sensors that tell them if the machine has been hit and with what intensity.
The badminton rackets are smart rackets and do not have a net inside the frame. There are only sensors on the frame that allow the drone to pass through and change direction once hit. This is a huge leap in inclusivity.