The NetFlix show DareDevil is based on a comic character who was blinded as a young boy but instilled with exceptional senses. Daredevil uses his other heightened senses to fight against injustice by day as a lawyer (Matt Murdock), and by night as the Super Hero. DareDevil is a comic character and has supernatural powers that allow him to hear the world. Not possible in reality but maybe we can get there one day? That is exactly what Microsoft has been working on with their SoundScape product. It was developed by Microsoft in their research arm. The Soundscape arm uses 3d audio cues to assist the users with audio cues about where the landmarks are. Audio tones are used to help guide the user by understanding where they are looking and how close they are to certain landmarks. This can not only help the blind but also those that might need to navigate a new space without having to look at their phone or wear smart glasses. The use of audio tones is another way that technology can interact with the end-user. There are other ways such as tactile ( i.e. buzz the body with a belt etc. ).
All of these advanced interfaces are truly amazing. We might not be that far away from creating our own version of the DareDevil.
Soundscape can be a valuable tool for first responders in a way that allows more hands-free multi-tasking. When the environment is one that is hard to see in. ( i.e. a burning building with a lot of smoke). Soundscape could help guide a firefighter out of a burning building by using audio tones to backtrack the way in.
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For the die-hard DareDevil fans, check out one of the best fight scenes of all time below: