1 00:00:00,549 --> 00:00:03,530 *preroll music* 2 00:00:19,687 --> 00:00:23,970 Herald: Good afternoon everyone. As you all know this is going to be an 3 00:00:23,970 --> 00:00:30,720 interesting talk for sure. It is titled Sense Without Sight. Our next speaker is 4 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,210 Sai and without too much ado please give him a big round of applause. 5 00:00:34,210 --> 00:00:35,940 He's going to be here shortly. 6 00:00:35,940 --> 00:00:39,111 *Applause* 7 00:00:50,847 --> 00:00:59,780 Sai: So you might be thinking that I am Daredevil. I'm not sadly. Well, probably 8 00:00:59,780 --> 00:01:06,390 better for my health. And I do not have any magic powers, unfortunately. I just 9 00:01:06,390 --> 00:01:17,349 have extra disabilities that make it harder for me. Nevertheless - 10 00:01:24,078 --> 00:01:29,570 one two back - yay live demos! dum di dum where did that move? 11 00:01:36,558 --> 00:01:40,657 Angel: Are you going to fall off stage? Sai: No I'm not going to fall off stage. 12 00:01:40,657 --> 00:01:43,059 Angel: Because you're right at, you're going to be falling soon. 13 00:01:43,059 --> 00:01:50,329 Sai: No I can walk around without my cane. It's a little hard to precisely target it, 14 00:01:50,329 --> 00:01:53,821 but as you can see I don't fall off stage. 15 00:01:55,162 --> 00:02:03,009 So just to make this clearer, I am not 16 00:02:03,009 --> 00:02:13,190 faking this. And the way you can tell is I have a blindfold on. This blindfold is for 17 00:02:13,190 --> 00:02:20,410 real. This is a sleep mask. I can't see anything right now. So you don't need to 18 00:02:20,410 --> 00:02:27,800 ask how good my sight is or why, because I can't see. 19 00:02:30,590 --> 00:02:33,300 The issue that I have is light blindness. 20 00:02:33,300 --> 00:02:39,360 Basically I can see if it's really dark and I can't see if it's really 21 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:53,570 bright, and lights that are as bright as the lights here actually hurt my eyes, 22 00:02:53,570 --> 00:02:58,610 kind of, right now through the blindfold. So I definitely would not be able to do 23 00:02:58,610 --> 00:03:06,090 this with my eyes open and my glasses off. I do a lot of different things. Blindness 24 00:03:06,090 --> 00:03:13,150 is not one of them. On my shirt, and my slides, and my website, there's all sorts 25 00:03:13,150 --> 00:03:19,440 of stuff that we can talk about. Let's please talk about that stuff, not the fact 26 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:27,420 that I'm blind. Except during this talk or during my workshops when you're - it's 27 00:03:27,420 --> 00:03:33,520 okay to ask questions about that or talk about that. Exception is if you want to 28 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:38,201 work with me on stuff or if you have feedback I welcome that. But let's talk 29 00:03:38,201 --> 00:03:49,300 about something else like how to analyze a few terabytes of court data. Anyway! 30 00:03:49,300 --> 00:03:57,120 I have assistants for this talk. One of them is what I'm going to be calling the 31 00:03:57,120 --> 00:04:02,710 "helpful asshole" aka my herald. Herald: You're welcome. 32 00:04:02,710 --> 00:04:11,460 Sai: Come up. I also have Bit. Bit, where are you? 33 00:04:11,460 --> 00:04:16,440 Bit: Here! Sai: Good! And I have someone running 34 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:23,010 slides for me because obviously I can't see my own slides. Fortunately for you 35 00:04:23,010 --> 00:04:29,240 that means I'm not giving the talk like this to do to do what I've just talked 36 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:37,381 about. Yeah it is okay to make sound. If anything it's helpful because it I can 37 00:04:37,381 --> 00:04:44,720 hear where you are. So you might wonder how I walked onto stage without my cane. 38 00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:54,180 I'm going to go over that in a second but first, the cane is really, really useful. 39 00:04:54,180 --> 00:05:01,870 So it gives me a number of things. For instance, right here, you might not notice 40 00:05:01,870 --> 00:05:07,741 it, but there is a difference in the floor. There is this carpeted section here 41 00:05:07,741 --> 00:05:14,030 and there's this wood section here... *different knocking sounds* 42 00:05:14,030 --> 00:05:19,800 Right? Now if I just brush this with my feet I can feel it. And that's how I 43 00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:25,630 walked on stage. But if I do it with my cane - hear that whack? 44 00:05:25,630 --> 00:05:30,740 *slinging and whacking sounds* You can say yes in response to questions. 45 00:05:30,740 --> 00:05:34,290 You hear that wack? Audience: Yes! 46 00:05:34,290 --> 00:05:46,600 Sai: So even if I'm lightly walking I just keep that out at a known degree and I can 47 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:55,580 easily walk alongside of it. I can also feel the texture. So one thing you may not 48 00:05:55,580 --> 00:06:06,060 notice but may as well try now is that the texture of the carpet under your feet - 49 00:06:06,060 --> 00:06:09,160 under your feet, the people who are live in this audience - I don't know 50 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:15,601 about you people at home, sorry. But this stage I have checked out and it is 51 00:06:15,601 --> 00:06:21,420 smoother from the front of stage to the back of stage and is smoother from the 52 00:06:21,420 --> 00:06:26,260 right of stage to the left stage. And I believe that's true for most of the floor 53 00:06:26,260 --> 00:06:33,470 and the audience but it's made out of separate squares. So some of them may be 54 00:06:33,470 --> 00:06:41,620 oriented in a different way so feel with your feet, for real, like right now, feel. 55 00:06:41,620 --> 00:06:47,570 and feel if you can see if you can feel which way it's smooth and which way it's 56 00:06:47,570 --> 00:06:56,780 rough. With the cane, when I drag it like this, it's smoother, when I drag like 57 00:06:56,780 --> 00:07:06,370 this, it resists, and especially if I'm holding it like this with a firmer grip - 58 00:07:06,370 --> 00:07:11,900 this is nice and smooth. This way it sort of resists, it bends the cane a little bit. 59 00:07:11,900 --> 00:07:21,950 What else. There's sound, so something I can do really well with a cane 60 00:07:21,950 --> 00:07:23,850 that's hard to do with my feet but I can 61 00:07:23,850 --> 00:07:26,020 *stomping* 62 00:07:26,020 --> 00:07:29,850 I can do that. But I can also do this 63 00:07:29,850 --> 00:07:32,360 *sharp whacking sounds* 64 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,650 so... *lower pitched whacking* 65 00:07:35,650 --> 00:07:40,980 that those two sound completely different, right? 66 00:07:40,980 --> 00:07:44,220 *different whacking sounds* 67 00:07:44,220 --> 00:07:45,360 In fact... 68 00:07:46,610 --> 00:07:48,940 *whacking sound changes again* 69 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:55,170 Here the stage is not hollow underneath. 70 00:07:55,170 --> 00:07:58,830 Here it's firmer and then 71 00:07:58,830 --> 00:08:01,490 *whacking sound changes dramatically* 72 00:08:01,490 --> 00:08:03,965 suddenly it's echo-y. 73 00:08:03,965 --> 00:08:08,865 *alternating whacking sounds* 74 00:08:08,865 --> 00:08:15,120 Right? So that helps me tell just sort of what ground I'm on. 75 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,600 Similarly, actually in the front of the stage. So 76 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:24,355 *different whacking sounds* 77 00:08:24,355 --> 00:08:28,820 and then near - sorry about your mic 78 00:08:30,060 --> 00:08:31,630 the stage edge, 79 00:08:31,630 --> 00:08:34,560 *whacking* 80 00:08:34,560 --> 00:08:37,170 it's really sort of resistant, whereas 81 00:08:37,170 --> 00:08:38,690 *more solid sounds* 82 00:08:38,690 --> 00:08:44,161 there, it's got much more of an echo to it. 83 00:08:44,161 --> 00:08:52,570 One thing this is very useful for is echolocation. I am not a bat but it is the 84 00:08:52,570 --> 00:08:58,399 same principle. There are some people who are much much much better than I am about 85 00:08:58,399 --> 00:09:03,770 echolocation. I'm not that good. But what I can hear, and what you can hear, and 86 00:09:03,770 --> 00:09:08,580 what you're going to try to hear right now, is the size of the room. So I'm going 87 00:09:08,580 --> 00:09:13,500 to whack the stage with my cane. What I want you to do is while I'm doing it, 88 00:09:13,500 --> 00:09:19,090 close your eyes. You're not going to miss anything. The slide's not going to change. 89 00:09:19,090 --> 00:09:24,460 I'm just here. So close your eyes and move your head from side to side as I do it. 90 00:09:24,460 --> 00:09:32,660 And you can even sort of look behind you, and listen for the sound of the size of 91 00:09:32,660 --> 00:09:41,050 the room. You'll be able to hear how large the room is around you and you'll hear the 92 00:09:41,050 --> 00:09:48,390 echo of my cane from the back of the room. Kill the PA for a sec. 93 00:09:49,290 --> 00:09:49,865 *whack* 94 00:09:52,606 --> 00:09:53,414 *whack* 95 00:09:58,592 --> 00:09:59,317 *whack* 96 00:10:01,388 --> 00:10:02,084 *whack* 97 00:10:03,266 --> 00:10:04,005 *whack* 98 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:05,620 Right? 99 00:10:05,620 --> 00:10:06,280 *whack* 100 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:07,040 PA! 101 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,722 *more whacks* 102 00:10:09,722 --> 00:10:13,112 OK so that's a simple version. Another 103 00:10:13,112 --> 00:10:23,790 version is these stage curtains. How do I not faceplant into them. Well there's a 104 00:10:23,790 --> 00:10:27,790 few ways. For one, I can just run into it with my cane. 105 00:10:27,790 --> 00:10:36,360 *speaker feedback noise* That's the speaker, sorry about that. And 106 00:10:36,360 --> 00:10:45,802 that is curtain, nice and soft. There are several other things about this I'm going 107 00:10:45,802 --> 00:10:52,930 to show in a bit, but also if I'm - sorry about the speaker - if I'm walking through 108 00:10:52,930 --> 00:10:59,650 this and I walk through the side curtain, sort of behind. 109 00:10:59,650 --> 00:11:16,790 *whacking* 110 00:11:18,030 --> 00:11:21,860 Huh, they've added extra stuff to the stage. Yay! 111 00:11:22,690 --> 00:11:33,659 *whacking* 112 00:11:34,829 --> 00:11:39,758 It absorbs the sound when I am tapping near it 113 00:11:46,757 --> 00:11:50,040 there's that. 114 00:11:51,884 --> 00:11:53,890 Bit, where are you? 115 00:11:53,890 --> 00:11:55,690 Bit: Looks like you're lost, you need some help? 116 00:11:55,690 --> 00:11:56,400 Sai: Sorry? 117 00:11:56,400 --> 00:11:58,770 Bit: Do you need some help? Looks like you're lost. 118 00:11:58,770 --> 00:12:11,290 Sai: Thank you dear angel. No I do know where I am. So my dear signal angel, my 119 00:12:11,290 --> 00:12:27,080 herald is representing that person who is trying to be helpful to me several times a 120 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:37,280 day, and kind of annoys me, or ranges from annoying to actually dangerous. 121 00:12:37,940 --> 00:12:41,791 I obviously know where I am because I'm navigating the stage is just fine, and you 122 00:12:41,791 --> 00:12:46,850 saw me walk on without even my cane. So thank you. But no, I don't need 123 00:12:46,850 --> 00:12:54,040 directions. Bit! Bit: Here! Howdy! 124 00:12:54,040 --> 00:13:01,860 Sai: So with someone who's right next to you like this, how do I - how can I tell 125 00:13:01,860 --> 00:13:12,480 that he's there. I'm not touching him with the cane, although I can and I do. So if I 126 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:16,730 whack you in the ankle: sorry but that's how I can tell you're there, especially if 127 00:13:16,730 --> 00:13:21,519 you're standing really quiet. It's really hard to tell that someone's there and 128 00:13:21,519 --> 00:13:26,390 especially in a crowd like this. So yes I'm going to hit you in the ankle, too bad. 129 00:13:26,390 --> 00:13:30,920 That's how I can tell you're there. But in this distance I can feel his body 130 00:13:30,920 --> 00:13:39,990 heat radiating. So from about this distance away, meh. From this distance, I 131 00:13:39,990 --> 00:13:49,770 can definitely feel it on the back of my arm. There is his shoulder, there's his 132 00:13:49,770 --> 00:13:59,200 cheek. So actually I would like you to try doing that. So turn to the person who's 133 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:10,269 next to you, ask their consent first. I have asked Bit's consent for everything 134 00:14:10,269 --> 00:14:16,290 that we're going to do. And what I would like you to do is put your hand up next to 135 00:14:16,290 --> 00:14:29,730 them. Try to almost touch their cheek without quite touching their cheek. And 136 00:14:29,730 --> 00:14:36,020 then deliberately do so. So almost, but not quite, just by the heat, with your 137 00:14:36,020 --> 00:14:43,830 eyes closed, and then trade off. Yeah, go ahead! 138 00:14:47,297 --> 00:14:51,265 *audience murmurs, giggles* 139 00:15:06,692 --> 00:15:09,698 *light whacks* 140 00:15:17,561 --> 00:15:21,209 So another place that I feel this is on 141 00:15:21,209 --> 00:15:28,790 walls. This wall for instance, the front of the stage, there is actually wind 142 00:15:28,790 --> 00:15:35,149 coming through these little holes in them. That wind is colder than the ambient 143 00:15:35,149 --> 00:15:44,680 temperature of the room. If I get my arm really close to it, then at about this 144 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:52,860 distance, I feel the cold air from it, and then at about that distance, there's 145 00:15:52,860 --> 00:16:00,500 actually sort of a sheet wind that is really tight close to the wall and then, 146 00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:09,920 there my hair - the hairs on the back of my arm tingle, and there, I can touch it. 147 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:17,320 So we have people who are in the audience on scooters and such. They're going to 148 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:27,769 drive through the aisles. I want you to close your eyes and see if you can feel 149 00:16:27,769 --> 00:16:33,809 the wind generated by them moving past you, 150 00:16:37,707 --> 00:16:39,720 and also the sound. 151 00:16:39,805 --> 00:16:42,085 *rhythmic rumbling* 152 00:16:42,090 --> 00:16:44,140 Some of them are louder than others. 153 00:16:47,340 --> 00:16:55,139 So you feel how when they pass you there's a breeze in their wake. This happens a lot 154 00:16:55,139 --> 00:17:01,209 in Congress. There are lots of people on scooters and hover boards and motorized 155 00:17:01,209 --> 00:17:10,050 couches or whatever - gods know what people motorized around here. Or it's 156 00:17:10,050 --> 00:17:17,420 someone just walking really fast like me. They all generate a wind in their wake. 157 00:17:17,420 --> 00:17:24,601 Another thing you'll notice in Congress is - there's these nice tunnels. So for 158 00:17:24,601 --> 00:17:30,890 instance from CCL to Hall 2, there's this tunnel through the glass hall. When you 159 00:17:30,890 --> 00:17:38,200 walk through, the wind characteristics of the room completely change. You start 160 00:17:38,200 --> 00:17:44,830 feeling a crosswind. So if I'm walking this way and the tunnel is on my right 161 00:17:44,830 --> 00:17:56,669 then suddenly I will feel a crosswind from the tunnel that is colder and wasn't there 162 00:17:56,669 --> 00:18:06,084 before. Similarly with the wall there's just sort of stops. Next? 163 00:18:22,949 --> 00:18:26,470 Oh yeah. So... 164 00:18:26,470 --> 00:18:36,400 everyone please close your eyes. And I do mean everyone. Not the audio angels or the 165 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:42,120 video angels. But everyone in the audience please close your eyes. If your phone 166 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:50,190 number ends with the number 1 please move your arms in such a way as to make some 167 00:18:50,190 --> 00:18:56,200 wind. If your phone number doesn't end in the number 1, point to the person who's 168 00:18:56,200 --> 00:19:01,740 making some wind. I can't see you so I'm not going to judge you. 169 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:10,360 So do you feel that? Yes? No? 170 00:19:10,860 --> 00:19:13,200 Audience: No. 171 00:19:14,330 --> 00:19:19,190 How about people whose phone number ends in 1 stop, people whose phone number ends 172 00:19:19,190 --> 00:19:25,901 in 4 make some wind like wave your arm in front of you. 173 00:19:28,231 --> 00:19:31,040 Feel that? Try pointing to them. 174 00:19:31,650 --> 00:19:35,695 Not the people who ends in 4, you can point to yourselves, I guess. 175 00:19:39,980 --> 00:19:43,030 People whose number ends in 7. 176 00:19:48,950 --> 00:19:54,580 So that's movement. When people move by you, it 177 00:19:54,580 --> 00:20:00,000 generates wind. When there is a tunnel and there's an air differential, like the air 178 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:07,170 under this stage is colder. And that's why there's a wind out of it. Actually - 179 00:20:07,170 --> 00:20:09,135 *du bi dub di dub* 180 00:20:20,150 --> 00:20:22,210 Herald: Let me hold your hand and get that for you. 181 00:20:22,210 --> 00:20:23,610 Sai: Ah, thanks. 182 00:20:23,610 --> 00:20:28,320 Herald: No? You're good? You're sure? Sai: Yeah, let go of me please! 183 00:20:37,635 --> 00:20:40,689 Sai: Oh yay! More stuff. 184 00:20:44,836 --> 00:20:49,034 *cane hitting wall and railing* 185 00:20:56,380 --> 00:21:00,030 So down here 186 00:21:05,453 --> 00:21:09,570 *whacking* 187 00:21:17,668 --> 00:21:28,169 If open the door and I walk past it, there is this crosswind, I was mentioning 188 00:21:28,169 --> 00:21:34,919 a second ago, about the tunnel. So here there's a sort of flat to my right and 189 00:21:34,919 --> 00:21:40,740 then here I walk a little bit forward. Suddenly there is this crosswind 190 00:21:40,740 --> 00:21:49,380 from that opening. Similarly when people were biking by you, you could tell that. 191 00:21:49,380 --> 00:21:52,670 Similarly if I crack my cane 192 00:21:52,670 --> 00:21:56,440 *whacking* 193 00:21:58,730 --> 00:22:02,360 I don't know if you can hear that very well, but try. There's... 194 00:22:03,070 --> 00:22:06,780 *barely audible whacking* 195 00:22:06,780 --> 00:22:10,620 there's a sound off to that side 196 00:22:10,620 --> 00:22:16,760 that sort of ends at the door. And then if I knock my cane here 197 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,590 *whacking* 198 00:22:19,590 --> 00:22:26,000 there's a little reflection through that door. 199 00:22:26,500 --> 00:22:29,160 And yes I do know how to close a door. 200 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:33,820 I know, amazing! 201 00:22:36,870 --> 00:22:38,630 Similarly for these walls 202 00:22:47,890 --> 00:22:49,790 I can feel the 203 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:57,040 that I'm close to the wall, or not. Tingley, not tingley. 204 00:22:57,980 --> 00:22:59,355 What's next. 205 00:23:19,223 --> 00:23:30,470 Yes. So yeah you've added more random crap. 206 00:23:30,470 --> 00:23:32,169 Herald: Can I move these chairs for you, so you can... 207 00:23:32,169 --> 00:23:35,520 Sai: Uh, no, please. Herald: Would that be helpful? 208 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:40,530 Sai: Sometimes that would be helpful. But at the moment not so much, because if you 209 00:23:40,530 --> 00:23:48,930 were to move it when I've already found where it is, then suddenly it wouldn't be 210 00:23:48,930 --> 00:23:57,750 there any more, and it'd be hard for me to orient. One of the things that is 211 00:23:57,750 --> 00:24:05,070 difficult about being blind is you have to have quite a lot of memory. So the things 212 00:24:05,070 --> 00:24:15,850 that you probably don't notice because you outsource your memory is how much of the 213 00:24:15,850 --> 00:24:21,850 environment around you changes. So ask a blind person they probably hate 214 00:24:21,850 --> 00:24:27,280 construction work. *audience laughs* 215 00:24:27,280 --> 00:24:41,100 I do. And if I try to go sit down for instance for that matter - there's a chair 216 00:24:41,100 --> 00:24:53,890 - if this had moved a lot, it would be really hard for me to take a seat. Now, he 217 00:24:53,890 --> 00:25:04,250 doesn't smell that bad, but some people have a pretty significant smell, because 218 00:25:04,250 --> 00:25:12,710 they're wearing perfume or cologne or Axe or something like that. If you've ever 219 00:25:12,710 --> 00:25:18,200 been in a public transit terminal and you've taken the elevator, maybe you know 220 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:29,850 the distinct aroma of the elevator in public transit. Definitely lets you know 221 00:25:29,850 --> 00:25:43,450 you're in New York City. So the next group, start moving. So my assistants in 222 00:25:43,450 --> 00:25:52,201 the audience are moving through the aisles with something in their hands. What I want 223 00:25:52,201 --> 00:26:01,891 you to do is close your eyes. Smell, feel the wind current, smell what is it, point 224 00:26:01,910 --> 00:26:04,775 to them. You point exactly where they are. 225 00:26:08,077 --> 00:26:10,585 Hhm, yummy orange. 226 00:26:15,837 --> 00:26:18,160 So now I'm really hungry. 227 00:26:20,190 --> 00:26:24,870 So if I'm walking past a coffee shop for instance, it has a distinct 228 00:26:24,870 --> 00:26:31,780 smell, smells like coffee, shockingly enough. A drugstore smells like alcohol and 229 00:26:31,780 --> 00:26:40,270 cleaning solution. A clothing store smells like leather and this weird perfume that 230 00:26:40,270 --> 00:26:47,270 they put in clothing stores for some reason. I don't know why, but they do. And 231 00:26:47,270 --> 00:26:50,913 if you ever visit one hopefully you'll notice it now. 232 00:26:53,379 --> 00:26:57,062 So let's see, next? Huh? 233 00:27:04,125 --> 00:27:09,679 Ah, right! Dear asshole, you know your lines? 234 00:27:09,679 --> 00:27:11,529 Herald: [inaudible] 235 00:27:14,609 --> 00:27:18,610 Sai: Bit! Do you have your blindfold on? 236 00:27:18,610 --> 00:27:22,100 Bit: Uh, no. Sai: Please do. 237 00:27:22,100 --> 00:27:25,840 Bit: I don't have one. Sai: I don't have an extra one. 238 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:27,090 Bit: [inaudible] 239 00:27:27,090 --> 00:27:30,230 Sai: *laughs* Did you move his blindfold also? 240 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:35,670 Bit: [inaudible] 241 00:27:38,420 --> 00:27:40,460 Sai: Shall I lend you mine? 242 00:27:42,610 --> 00:27:44,850 Bit: [inaudible] 243 00:27:51,615 --> 00:27:57,200 Sai: Ah, that get's bright! Ow. 244 00:27:59,380 --> 00:28:04,890 So if you are going to try to help someone navigate. 245 00:28:04,890 --> 00:28:10,062 First off say would you like some help. 246 00:28:10,067 --> 00:28:13,294 Bit: So I'm pretty confused now, so, yes, please! 247 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:15,220 *laughter* 248 00:28:16,790 --> 00:28:24,240 Sai: So don't just randomly assault people. Just because I have a cane does 249 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:31,490 not mean it's cool to assault me. Then if you're going to touch them, do so with the 250 00:28:31,490 --> 00:28:37,100 back of your hand. This way he knows I'm not just randomly grabbing him and yanking 251 00:28:37,100 --> 00:28:43,530 him around. That's really annoying. So I can offer you my arm. We can walk. Let's 252 00:28:43,530 --> 00:28:45,610 go have a seat. 253 00:28:45,610 --> 00:28:47,830 *laughter* 254 00:28:53,730 --> 00:28:58,860 Here we go. That's your seat. Now some people will like grab the hand and put it 255 00:28:58,860 --> 00:29:03,989 down. Instead I can just say: here's a chair. 256 00:29:06,758 --> 00:29:07,826 Ta da! 257 00:29:10,919 --> 00:29:13,559 So follow me for a sec. 258 00:29:13,559 --> 00:29:16,672 Can I have a sidewalk beep in the back? 259 00:29:18,044 --> 00:29:21,769 *scratching* 260 00:29:23,539 --> 00:29:27,138 So let's do a little crack. 261 00:29:27,573 --> 00:29:30,006 *whack**whack* 262 00:29:30,194 --> 00:29:33,150 Do you hear the back of the room, where that is? 263 00:29:35,910 --> 00:29:38,120 Bit: Can you do it once more? 264 00:29:38,185 --> 00:29:39,185 *whack* 265 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:50,880 Bit: I think it's in front of me, a bit to the right, maybe. 266 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:59,100 Sai: So one thing you really don't want to do when someone is possibly trying to 267 00:29:59,100 --> 00:30:06,590 figure out their orientation is to randomly come up to them and grab them, 268 00:30:06,590 --> 00:30:17,280 and pull them. Dear asshole? Herald: Yes please? Can I help you, 269 00:30:17,280 --> 00:30:24,049 can I take you somewhere? Sai: Let's pretend that you think he 270 00:30:24,049 --> 00:30:30,401 wants to go down the stairs. He thinks he wants to walk towards the audience. 271 00:30:30,401 --> 00:30:33,000 Let's walk towards the audience a little bit. 272 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:35,080 Herald: So here the stairs are this way. 273 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:36,230 Yeah. 274 00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:38,850 *laughter* 275 00:30:39,900 --> 00:30:41,810 Sai: OK, pause for a sec. 276 00:30:42,220 --> 00:30:43,740 Herald: ... for the stairs. Bit: No, not.. really not. 277 00:30:43,740 --> 00:30:46,840 Herald: I'm pretty sure you are. You look lost! 278 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:50,160 Bit: I'm trying to go elsewhere. Sai: Yeah, fuck off please! 279 00:30:50,430 --> 00:30:51,980 *laughter* 280 00:30:54,610 --> 00:30:57,346 Sai: Now, Bit, can you please point to the back of the room? 281 00:31:01,765 --> 00:31:05,070 Yeah, not quite is it. 282 00:31:07,350 --> 00:31:09,190 This is what happens when you mess with 283 00:31:09,190 --> 00:31:16,340 someone's orientation. Please don't be that asshole. So if you want to be helpful you 284 00:31:16,340 --> 00:31:21,909 can be helpful, you can be nice. Say: "shall I lead you back to the chairs now?" 285 00:31:21,909 --> 00:31:28,020 "Would you like a hand?" They hold you, you don't hold them, and then you can lead 286 00:31:28,020 --> 00:31:46,280 them back to the chairs. There we go. Have a seat. May I have my blindfold back? 287 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:52,860 Bit: Yeah. Sai: You can tell this is improvised. And 288 00:31:52,860 --> 00:32:01,970 here I am again walking without my cane on the crack. So it's not just a party trick, 289 00:32:01,970 --> 00:32:05,776 as I'll show in a sec. Next. 290 00:32:13,954 --> 00:32:20,540 Yeah, right. So, some of you may have the response of 291 00:32:20,540 --> 00:32:37,320 thinking, "oh wow Sai can walk across the stage, or talk or make decisions". I wish 292 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:44,320 I were kidding but that does happen pretty regularly. Can we clear the stuff off the 293 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:55,510 stage, please? So instead of that, I'd like to show you something that actually 294 00:32:55,510 --> 00:33:07,750 does involve a little bit of skill. Namely about a decade worth of aikido. For those 295 00:33:07,750 --> 00:33:15,150 of you who don't know, aikido is a martial art from Japan. Anne? 296 00:33:15,150 --> 00:33:24,630 Anne: Yes! Sai: So I've spent about five years or so 297 00:33:24,630 --> 00:33:37,340 learning to use a cane. Anne has spent well more than that doing aikido and is a 298 00:33:37,340 --> 00:33:43,630 second degree black belt. I am not! However I'm wearing a blindfold and she is 299 00:33:43,630 --> 00:33:54,690 not. So what I want to demonstrate for you is how I can tell that she's about to grab 300 00:33:54,690 --> 00:34:02,820 my hand. So there is the sound of the feet on the ground making this sort of sound. 301 00:34:02,820 --> 00:34:08,119 There is the hand approaching me, the wind, 302 00:34:08,119 --> 00:34:12,569 there the vibration as her hips sort of rotate 303 00:34:12,569 --> 00:34:17,709 towards me with my slow fist attempt here. 304 00:34:17,709 --> 00:34:20,169 There I can tell she's starting to lean back, 305 00:34:20,169 --> 00:34:23,692 and there, I put her to the ground. 306 00:34:26,570 --> 00:34:27,964 Again! 307 00:34:29,135 --> 00:34:33,149 So sound, movement, air flow, heat. 308 00:34:33,149 --> 00:34:40,830 Here is a nice little head, vibration, wrist, the crook of the wrist. 309 00:34:43,922 --> 00:34:46,169 Full speed! 310 00:34:52,069 --> 00:35:02,180 So the blindfold hasn't come off. This isn't magic. And again I'm not Daredevil. 311 00:35:02,180 --> 00:35:10,869 I just can't see. I didn't get extra super special securing powers. My hearings is 312 00:35:10,869 --> 00:35:15,869 pretty good but it's no better than the average person - I'm - it's actually a 313 00:35:15,869 --> 00:35:23,960 lot worse in the rain. So that thing it isn't really a thing. So just to prove 314 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:34,420 that it doesn't just work in this sort of deliberately set up special thing, Anne is 315 00:35:34,420 --> 00:35:39,709 going to just attack me, however she wants, and I'm going to 316 00:35:39,709 --> 00:35:41,097 throw her around a bit. 317 00:35:41,868 --> 00:35:42,868 *laughter* 318 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:56,411 Note that I can still focus on her. 319 00:36:03,424 --> 00:36:05,383 I can still pin her if I want. 320 00:36:06,632 --> 00:36:07,716 *laughs* 321 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:19,572 *laughter* 322 00:36:19,990 --> 00:36:24,320 *applause* 323 00:37:13,908 --> 00:37:19,558 *applause* 324 00:37:22,100 --> 00:37:27,579 And no, I didn't tell them what to do in advance. That's real. Yes, I am a little 325 00:37:27,579 --> 00:37:40,969 bit out of breath. It's been a while since I actually exercised. Well and again I'm 326 00:37:40,969 --> 00:37:49,440 still facing you, right? I haven't forgotten where this line is. Between the 327 00:37:49,440 --> 00:38:02,900 wood and the carpet, and in fact I can knock it with my ring. Sometimes against 328 00:38:02,900 --> 00:38:11,960 the wall is a little better to generate a nice echo sound. So if you want to not be 329 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:26,249 an asshole, please remember, first off, ask! I may not want your help, or need it, 330 00:38:26,249 --> 00:38:33,380 and what you think may be helpful to me, maybe, probably is, completely wrong. So 331 00:38:33,380 --> 00:38:40,619 listen to what I say and if I say, "yeah I would like you to please, lead me to X." 332 00:38:40,619 --> 00:38:47,739 That does not mean grab my arm and start dragging me to X. I prefer to follow 333 00:38:47,739 --> 00:38:52,930 people by sounds so I'm just going to tell you to scuff your feet when you walk, 334 00:38:52,930 --> 00:38:59,979 *scuffing* so I can follow you by sound, or to just 335 00:38:59,979 --> 00:39:12,499 keep talking. Some people do prefer to follow by hand. Bit? So if it comes up and 336 00:39:12,499 --> 00:39:26,119 I want directions to the stage center, lead me to say center, please. Ta da! Not 337 00:39:26,119 --> 00:39:37,789 that hard. If you are going to touch someone like here, unless you know you've 338 00:39:37,789 --> 00:39:43,170 invited them to attack you because you're going to do an aikido exercise, don't just 339 00:39:43,170 --> 00:39:51,619 randomly grab them and yank them around. Touch them, say "hi my name is Sai, would 340 00:39:51,619 --> 00:39:55,650 you like some help?" Bit: Hi Sai, I would. Thank you very much. 341 00:39:55,650 --> 00:40:00,079 And then you can offer, or you can say: "what would you like." "Are you lost." 342 00:40:00,079 --> 00:40:05,609 Bit: Actually I'd like to go to your place thanks. 343 00:40:05,609 --> 00:40:12,359 Sai: Maybe later. *laughter* 344 00:40:12,359 --> 00:40:21,869 And one important thing to note. When people do simulations of disabilities, 345 00:40:21,869 --> 00:40:32,500 they sometimes try to do it by just pretending to be blind, or pretending to 346 00:40:32,500 --> 00:40:37,779 be in a wheelchair, or something. Like you sit in a wheelchair for a day, and then 347 00:40:37,779 --> 00:40:44,339 you think, oh it must be so hard to be in a wheelchair, because my arms hurt so 348 00:40:44,339 --> 00:40:50,739 much, and I couldn't figure out how to get to the second floor. That's because you've 349 00:40:50,739 --> 00:40:55,859 done it for a day and someone who actually uses a wheelchair has done it for probably 350 00:40:55,859 --> 00:41:00,989 years and years and years and has much better arms than you do. And they know 351 00:41:00,989 --> 00:41:08,259 where everything is, and they know how to get around. Similarly, I know how to get 352 00:41:08,259 --> 00:41:19,700 around without using my eyes. You don't. If you just try to put a blindfold on and 353 00:41:19,700 --> 00:41:25,839 grab a cane, or let alone those blind experience museums where they just put a 354 00:41:25,839 --> 00:41:30,249 blindfold on you, and don't give you a cane, and have you walk around. I actually 355 00:41:30,249 --> 00:41:36,600 went to one once and they wanted to take my cane away from me? Like hell no. That 356 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:46,420 ain't happening. I actually lent it to my partner so that my partner could not feel 357 00:41:46,420 --> 00:41:52,119 afraid of the surroundings of accidentally walking into something or accidentally 358 00:41:52,119 --> 00:42:02,769 walking off - not a stage, but off a step or something. So you don't know what you 359 00:42:02,769 --> 00:42:08,539 dont know. Most of the things I've showed you in this talk you probably have never 360 00:42:08,539 --> 00:42:15,390 realized that there even a thing. Like have you noticed how many different 361 00:42:15,390 --> 00:42:23,070 floorings there are in the mess hall? How many different textures there are? How 362 00:42:23,070 --> 00:42:33,309 many different sounds there are, smells, the wind, the ceiling heights. You 363 00:42:33,309 --> 00:42:40,199 probably don't pay attention to that. I do and without the experience you're just not 364 00:42:40,199 --> 00:42:50,839 going to be able to learn that. That said, I am teaching workshops. You're welcome to 365 00:42:50,839 --> 00:42:54,819 come to them if I saw the energy to run them. One is going to be right after this 366 00:42:54,819 --> 00:43:01,759 talk and the rest to be determined. My volunteers: can you please come up on 367 00:43:01,759 --> 00:43:10,680 stage if you're willing to be on camera. This talk is complicated if you ask the 368 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:21,430 35C3 content crew and the VOC crew and everyone else. Kind of a pain to run 369 00:43:21,430 --> 00:43:28,020 something like this because I'm doing stereo recording. That doesn't affect you 370 00:43:28,020 --> 00:43:34,039 in the audience live because the PAs are mono, but hopefully those of you listening 371 00:43:34,039 --> 00:43:39,949 at home you've been listening to this with stereo headphones on, and hopefully you'll 372 00:43:39,949 --> 00:43:44,640 hear it from my perspective what it's like when I crack the cane, and you can hear 373 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:47,210 the echo in the room. 374 00:43:47,210 --> 00:43:53,250 So thank you very much. Thank you very much. Take a bow, please! 375 00:43:53,250 --> 00:44:03,390 *applause* 376 00:44:03,390 --> 00:44:08,889 Herald: Thank you Sai for a very interesting talk! Questions? 377 00:44:08,889 --> 00:44:15,630 Sai: Can we have the Q&A slide please? So if you have questions, and you're okay 378 00:44:15,630 --> 00:44:21,739 with being on camera, and possibly being asked to come on stage so I can answer 379 00:44:21,739 --> 00:44:25,289 your question depending on what your question is, please queue up to the camera 380 00:44:25,289 --> 00:44:29,410 that's on stage right. Otherwise there's cameras or there's microphones... 381 00:44:29,410 --> 00:44:32,769 Herald: ...we can also do just plain questions. If you don't want to come on 382 00:44:32,769 --> 00:44:37,359 stage, you can just answer questions from any one of the four microphones in the room. 383 00:44:37,359 --> 00:44:39,179 Sai: Bit? 384 00:44:42,269 --> 00:44:44,529 So first question from microphone number 2. 385 00:44:44,529 --> 00:44:48,719 Sai: Which one is 2? Herald: It's for that person asking. 386 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,500 Sai: Which one is the... Herald: Sorry? 387 00:44:51,500 --> 00:44:55,420 Sai: Which one is the one on stage right. Can I ask them on stage. 388 00:44:55,420 --> 00:44:58,059 Herald: Oh let's see if they want to come on stage. 389 00:44:58,059 --> 00:45:01,989 Sai: Which number? Microphone number two is... 390 00:45:01,989 --> 00:45:05,049 Herald: Number two is the microphone - you want to come on stage? 391 00:45:05,049 --> 00:45:07,940 Question: Yeah, sure. Sai: I just want to know if... 392 00:45:07,940 --> 00:45:13,829 Bit: Microphone #2 is in front of you in the aisle, #3 behind there. #1 left on the 393 00:45:13,829 --> 00:45:18,559 aisle, and #4 right. Sai: So it goes to number four if you're 394 00:45:18,559 --> 00:45:20,859 willing to get on camera. Herald: So the question is right here. 395 00:45:20,859 --> 00:45:27,259 Sai: Can you please bring me my canes? Question: Thank you for the really 396 00:45:27,259 --> 00:45:28,819 impressive talk. Sai: Thank you. 397 00:45:28,819 --> 00:45:34,700 Question: My question is the following. So when - I want to know how your imagination 398 00:45:34,700 --> 00:45:40,799 works. So when someone says, imagine a box, what's that you think of. Is that the 399 00:45:40,799 --> 00:45:47,019 material or how it sounds, how it feels, just how does it work. 400 00:45:47,019 --> 00:45:54,430 Sai: Well there I would actually go to my kind of psychology talk that I gave a 401 00:45:54,430 --> 00:46:03,269 27C3, and a box is a category, theoretic concept that has a prototype, possibly. 402 00:46:03,269 --> 00:46:14,219 It's like asking: imagine a furniture. Hhm. Imagine a box! What kind of box? Is a 403 00:46:14,219 --> 00:46:20,690 shipping box? Is it a box of mate that are those little crates that I walk into etc. 404 00:46:20,690 --> 00:46:29,099 There are all different kinds of boxes. Is it an elevator? Yeah I don't know how to 405 00:46:29,099 --> 00:46:31,930 answer that kind of question. Question: So maybe I got that incorrect, 406 00:46:31,930 --> 00:46:37,969 but what I want to say is that when they try to think of something I had no idea 407 00:46:37,969 --> 00:46:44,509 and you project plan, or etc. I imagine how it looks. So how I am at a certain 408 00:46:44,509 --> 00:46:50,390 place or how I, for example, see a box if someone's talking about the box. So my 409 00:46:50,390 --> 00:46:55,989 brain works like visually creating visual pictures. So I was interested in how that 410 00:46:55,989 --> 00:46:59,759 works for blind people. Sai: Well, that depends on the blind 411 00:46:59,759 --> 00:47:09,249 person, I have - I've never really had a visual thought process. So when I've 412 00:47:09,249 --> 00:47:14,670 talked to people and asked them what is it like to think for you? So if people in the 413 00:47:14,670 --> 00:47:21,349 audience, think about this, if you're imagining like what you did over the last 414 00:47:21,349 --> 00:47:33,770 day - try it - okay. Many people here feel that as sort of a quasi audio monologue. 415 00:47:33,770 --> 00:47:41,439 That's like a voice in their head, except it's their voice, it's not other voices. 416 00:47:41,439 --> 00:47:48,130 Many people have it, like you have it, a sort of visual experience. Some people 417 00:47:48,130 --> 00:47:55,880 have it as scrolling text. Can I get a clap for anyone who has their thoughts as 418 00:47:55,880 --> 00:48:03,449 text? Anyone? No? Okay. Like two or three people who have that. For me it's purely 419 00:48:03,449 --> 00:48:08,539 abstract. But if I wanted to think of a box, yes I can think of a box. I can 420 00:48:08,539 --> 00:48:14,259 imagine it visually, I can imagine what it feels like, etc. Also please remember I 421 00:48:14,259 --> 00:48:23,920 can see in dark light. I can't see here because - even looking up is painful with 422 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:28,189 my eyes closed under this blindfold. There is enough light coming through that it 423 00:48:28,189 --> 00:48:34,029 hurts. I definitely would not be able to open my eyes and I could take my blindfold 424 00:48:34,029 --> 00:48:40,200 off temporarily but that was because I was willing to tolerate some pain. So if it's 425 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:46,710 a dark room then I can see just fine. Herald: The next question is from the 426 00:48:46,710 --> 00:48:48,769 Internet so they won't be able to go on stage. 427 00:48:48,769 --> 00:48:51,730 Sai: Yes, the internet! Question: How do you feel about 428 00:48:51,730 --> 00:48:59,019 the app Be My Eyes. Sai: Be My Eyes. It's actually not bad. 429 00:48:59,019 --> 00:49:11,559 There's Be My Eyes, TapTapSee, BeSpecular, several for iPhone which I've never used 430 00:49:11,559 --> 00:49:17,180 because I've got an Android. Though iPhone, for what it's worth has, and Mac 431 00:49:17,180 --> 00:49:23,420 products in general, have really excellent support for blind people. TapTapSee is 432 00:49:23,420 --> 00:49:30,880 useful. It's not as useful for me because at home, like if I want to identify a can 433 00:49:30,880 --> 00:49:37,869 of soup or whatever, I will just look at it with the lights down, so I can see it 434 00:49:37,869 --> 00:49:44,829 myself. And it's too much of a pain to use if I'm out, like if I'm grocery shopping. 435 00:49:44,829 --> 00:49:51,359 That's something that's a real pain to do and an accessibility issue. For those of 436 00:49:51,359 --> 00:50:03,630 you thinking about such things: if you only support the operation search or the 437 00:50:03,630 --> 00:50:11,880 operation look up and say I walk into a grocery store - which I have done - yeah, 438 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:16,839 shocking. And they come up to me and say, hey how can I help you, what do you want. 439 00:50:16,839 --> 00:50:23,209 I say well I don't know what I want. What do you have. I would like a savory snack 440 00:50:23,209 --> 00:50:32,670 that's vegetarian. What do you have. Well what do you want. Name it. And if I name 441 00:50:32,670 --> 00:50:38,829 it they'll get it from me but I don't know, especially if I'm in Germany. I have 442 00:50:38,829 --> 00:50:47,109 no idea what they sell here yet they still ask me. So browsing is much harder and 443 00:50:47,109 --> 00:50:52,279 with TapTapSee and with Be My Eyes and so forth, it's really for identifying a 444 00:50:52,279 --> 00:50:59,630 specific object. One thing that you may not be used to here but in more barbaric 445 00:50:59,630 --> 00:51:05,869 countries, all the paper currency is the same size and has no distinguishing 446 00:51:05,869 --> 00:51:12,569 features. Except for the next print run, because the American Federation for the 447 00:51:12,569 --> 00:51:17,740 Blind sued the U.S. Treasury and won. So the next generation of bills except for 448 00:51:17,740 --> 00:51:21,839 the one dollar note which the Treasury is not allowed to change by law, 449 00:51:21,839 --> 00:51:25,579 *laughter* the next generation will have blind 450 00:51:25,579 --> 00:51:30,739 accessibility features. Here, they have different sizes. If you feel your euros 451 00:51:30,739 --> 00:51:38,380 they have a little strip on the edge of them. And some versions of them have 452 00:51:38,380 --> 00:51:44,019 little braille dots that you can tell what they are. So that's that's not as bad 453 00:51:44,019 --> 00:51:50,209 here. Be My Eyes is more useful for someone who's blind at home as well. But 454 00:51:50,209 --> 00:51:53,660 it's a great app! Herald: Another question from microphone 4 455 00:51:53,660 --> 00:51:56,809 that's to the right of the stage. They can ask from there, but if they want to come 456 00:51:56,809 --> 00:51:57,809 up... Sai: Thank you! 457 00:51:57,809 --> 00:52:00,390 Herald: Do you want to come up? Sai: Ask first! 458 00:52:00,390 --> 00:52:05,319 Herald: I'm going to - sorry for all the... 459 00:52:05,319 --> 00:52:12,349 Question: So it was very impressive how you pick up on all the these things that 460 00:52:12,349 --> 00:52:18,510 like, I normally don't. So I was really curious when you meet a new person. What 461 00:52:18,510 --> 00:52:22,439 do you pick up. What do you pickup about them. Like how do you assess the person. 462 00:52:22,439 --> 00:52:28,489 How do you know they're like interesting, attractive, like how do you.... Because I 463 00:52:28,489 --> 00:52:33,079 use visual cues for that. Sai: So I'm going to answer you assuming 464 00:52:33,079 --> 00:52:42,539 that I'm blind at the time. If they come up to me and say "how much can you see?" 465 00:52:42,539 --> 00:52:46,449 then they're probably not a person I want to continue interacting with. 466 00:52:46,449 --> 00:52:50,449 *laughter* If there is someone who comes up to me, 467 00:52:50,449 --> 00:52:54,549 they've read my shirt about all sorts of different things that we can have a 468 00:52:54,549 --> 00:53:00,689 conversation about that's substantive, and they say: "hey how would you like to 469 00:53:00,689 --> 00:53:05,920 implement liquid democracy", or "how do you make a non-linear writing system", or 470 00:53:05,920 --> 00:53:12,011 something like that. Then they're more likely an interesting person or they 471 00:53:12,011 --> 00:53:20,329 introduce themselves and are nice. How do you evaluate people? Like, you can't value 472 00:53:20,329 --> 00:53:28,579 them just by what they look like. I can tell your age and your approximate gender, 473 00:53:28,579 --> 00:53:38,150 and your approximate place that you were raised linguistically, and if you were at 474 00:53:38,150 --> 00:53:43,619 the same floor level, I can tell your height. I can probably tell roughly your 475 00:53:43,619 --> 00:53:50,440 weight just from your heat, your - the sound of your voice, the amount of 476 00:53:50,440 --> 00:53:53,009 pressure that you're making on the floor - depending on what kind of floor it is, 477 00:53:53,009 --> 00:53:58,539 like if it's the stone out in the Messe, I'm not going to get anything from that. 478 00:53:58,539 --> 00:54:03,890 Yeah blind people can be racist too if that's what you're thinking. 479 00:54:03,890 --> 00:54:07,089 *laughter* Everybody can be racist. 480 00:54:07,089 --> 00:54:14,709 *singing* We're all a little bit racist. Yeah same way anyone else! 481 00:54:14,709 --> 00:54:18,849 Herald: So we will do one last question for microphone number two, that's center 482 00:54:18,849 --> 00:54:22,749 aisle. Question: So thank you for your talk. I 483 00:54:22,749 --> 00:54:27,699 think that was very inspiring. I was wondering, most of the methods you showed 484 00:54:27,699 --> 00:54:32,989 where rather analogue. So have you also tried something like maybe a smart cane so 485 00:54:32,989 --> 00:54:37,930 you have some more technical approach to detecting surfaces and obstacles, or other 486 00:54:37,930 --> 00:54:40,650 things, and what's your experience with this kind of thing? 487 00:54:40,650 --> 00:54:44,069 Sai: Hopefully my slide is still up there, where it says I'd be interested in 488 00:54:44,069 --> 00:54:51,759 collaborating on that. Eric Boyd at SenseBridge of NoiseBridge, where I used 489 00:54:51,759 --> 00:54:59,339 to be, made a nice anklet called the NorthPaw, which is basically a series of 490 00:54:59,339 --> 00:55:06,849 pager buzzers that vibrate to point to which way is north. I sadly broke mine, 491 00:55:06,849 --> 00:55:12,650 and if any of you have a working one, I would really like to have it! Absolute 492 00:55:12,650 --> 00:55:17,089 orientation is really difficult. So relative orientation, like what I was 493 00:55:17,089 --> 00:55:22,880 doing with the aikido, I can tell like where someone is. I can focus on them but 494 00:55:22,880 --> 00:55:31,099 then it's easy to lose track of which way you're facing. So something like that is 495 00:55:31,099 --> 00:55:41,059 quite useful. There are some products that do this on demand. So I forget what it is 496 00:55:41,059 --> 00:55:48,069 called, but the LHZ Dresden had this product, which is a tactile feedback 497 00:55:48,069 --> 00:55:54,349 compass and clock. So if you click it and it will vibrate in different ways to tell 498 00:55:54,349 --> 00:56:02,710 you which way you're facing. That's - it doesn't really work very well. What you 499 00:56:02,710 --> 00:56:08,519 would want is something continuous. I've heard of canes where they've like attached 500 00:56:08,519 --> 00:56:17,390 a camera to either the cane or to the to the grip, and it beeps or something when 501 00:56:17,390 --> 00:56:24,509 there's something there. I've never used one, so I can't comment on that directly 502 00:56:24,509 --> 00:56:30,930 but from blind friends, who told me about experiences with them, they tend to be 503 00:56:30,930 --> 00:56:36,140 engineered by sighted people who have no idea what it's like to be blind. That 504 00:56:36,140 --> 00:56:45,569 said, it is true that tree branches are a real obstacle, because if I try to sweep 505 00:56:45,569 --> 00:56:52,740 something and something is above this height like a tree branch at about this 506 00:56:52,740 --> 00:57:01,619 height or a metal sign like in Boston or D.C. or New York, or well really anywhere 507 00:57:01,619 --> 00:57:07,099 in the U.S. Not so much in London, they're pretty good about that except for the one 508 00:57:07,099 --> 00:57:10,140 time I walked into a government building and there was a monitor affixed to the 509 00:57:10,140 --> 00:57:13,019 wall at this height. *indicates height of his head* 510 00:57:13,019 --> 00:57:17,469 I cleared the column, hit the column. I knew there was a column there and I was 511 00:57:17,469 --> 00:57:23,959 just walking past the column and walked smack into the monitor. This was in a 512 00:57:23,959 --> 00:57:28,710 government building, sadly. But usually they're pretty good about it and I haven't 513 00:57:28,710 --> 00:57:37,029 found any like that here. But trees, there's always trees. Bus stops often have 514 00:57:37,029 --> 00:57:42,079 sort of the the sign on on the side, right? And there is like this gap that 515 00:57:42,079 --> 00:57:44,319 might be this high *indicates knee hight* 516 00:57:44,319 --> 00:57:49,440 because I have a fairly long cane. Canes are usually anywhere between sternum and 517 00:57:49,440 --> 00:57:55,949 nose. And mine is just at the edge of my nose. If I'm standing up tall. It's quite 518 00:57:55,949 --> 00:58:02,170 long because I walk really fast. So mine has a lower angle and that means that it's 519 00:58:02,170 --> 00:58:08,849 more likely to go under that and then I'll hit it like here when I'm almost at it. 520 00:58:08,849 --> 00:58:16,039 Tangles up my cane, it's kind of a pain. Yeah. So it's possible that something that 521 00:58:16,039 --> 00:58:22,829 detects a higher range will be useful. One thing that I'm specifically interested 522 00:58:22,829 --> 00:58:29,079 because it's something I'm bad at, is absolute orientation. So if you are an 523 00:58:29,079 --> 00:58:39,219 engineer or a hacker who is interested in collaborating on something like putting 524 00:58:39,219 --> 00:58:46,160 things in the cane grip or in a hat or on the side of eyeglasses or something like 525 00:58:46,160 --> 00:58:52,930 that, that would tell me which way is north, constantly, please get in touch. Or 526 00:58:52,930 --> 00:58:59,229 for that matter if you can make glasses that will take standard lenses and have 527 00:58:59,229 --> 00:59:05,519 zero light leakage, please get in touch. Because it turns out there aren't any such 528 00:59:05,519 --> 00:59:11,269 frames on the market for some reason. That's the technology. 529 00:59:11,269 --> 00:59:17,211 Thank you very much! Herald: I think we're out of time. 530 00:59:17,211 --> 00:59:19,893 Thank you Sai for a very interesting talk, big round of applause. 531 00:59:19,893 --> 00:59:23,839 *applause* 532 00:59:28,651 --> 00:59:31,854 *postroll music* 533 00:59:31,854 --> 00:59:52,000 subtitles created by c3subtitles.de in the year 2019. Join, and help us!