My Thoughts On Glidance

 Hello Everyone,

Last month, I went to the in-person talk about Glide by Glidance in London. Launching in winter 2025, it's a new mobility aid for people with sight loss, that could replace a white cane, or guide dog. This post is about my thoughts on the device.

What is Glidance?

Glidance is a team of engineers, researchers, designers and technologists who are currently developing Glide, the world’s first self-guided mobility aid. Glide will "blend cutting-edge navigational robotics and AI with an intuitive and user-friendly experience". It also has a community of advocates, partners, supporters, advisors, and people committed to advancing mobility for millions of people. The CEO Amos Miller is blind himself.

How does it work?

Glidance has an AI system which connects the Glide device and uses real-time data to give you the best routes, find places of interest, navigate obstacles and guide you through the best way to reach your destination. According to the website, you can use the device to:

• avoid obstacles
• Find lifts, doors, stairs and more
• Pre-map routes
• Spontaneously walk without a destination in mind

In terms of the physical design of the device itself. It has:

• Telescoping handle with comfortable grip, that's at a  height of 22 inches (55.88 cm) when fully compacted.
• haptic feedback in the handle which tells you the direction you need to go
•  Selection buttons and a programmable “quick access” button in the handle
• 8-inch replaceable terrain wheels with intelligent steering, power assist and dynamic brakes at the bottom
• Built in speaker, microphones and Bluetooth connection for audio feedback 
• Stereo depth camera with 50-feet range, and near-range sensors for obstacle and cliff detection
• Rechargeable battery for 6+ Hour active use and smart standby for all-day charge
• Portable, collapsible and light (weights 6 pounds, 2.72 kg)
• Automatically steers and stops
• Path detection and guidance
• avoids obstacles with overhead and drop-off detection.
• Primary target detection and guidance (door, crosswalk, stairs, etc.)
• Voice input
• Companion app for setup and onboarding, device settings and Over-The-Air update

What's My Verdict? 

During the Q and A session the team  emphasised "glide is a tool", we as users need to know how to use the tool to make good decisions like when to cross the read safely. In other words, you still need to have good orientation and mobility skills to use the device. The reaction time of the device "is good", but also depends on your reaction time as a user. They mentioned "glide will see the stairs with the camera...inform you about the hand-rail (if there is one)" and then you roll the device, or pick it up and walk up the stairs yourself. The device will have LED lighting, which can be used at night when crossing roads. You should be able to use it to navigate familiar routes, or new routes. Plus, you can use it with either your left, or right-hand. For safety, the app could (in the future ) allow  you to add your location that way. Other users suggested a button to alert emergency services via the device like the police, or your loved ones when in danger. It should be able to handle different weather conditions like snow and rain.  It's a device the team believes could be used anywhere, like on the train, getting out of a car, or even on a plane. It has a "freestyle navigation" ability, things people need to be aware of such as roads, crossings and pre-mapped routes where you can train glide to take you where you need to go. The software on the device will be updated monthly, and the product is meant to last you at least 3 years, or more.  They want people to be able to use it in "real-world scenarios". 

Similar to a guide dog, when crossing a road, glide will help you safely get to the other side. The level of "haptic feedback" you get is similar to being led by a guide dog. According to the team "guide dog users take to using glide really well", compared to a cane user. As a cane user myself the test-run helped me understand why. When using a cane, I'm the one in control. I'm the one that knows where I need to go, and am using the feedback from my cane to make  sure  I know about gaps in the pavement, uneven pavements, steps, or obstacles I wouldn't usually see as I walk. In comparison with glide (and I'm assuming a guide dog), I am being led by the device itself, it's moving me forward, instructing me to turn right, left, or abruptly stop when it senses danger. I hold onto it and go where it's taking me. I move when it moves. I love the fact that the company have reached out to the sight loss community, given us a chance to try it, give feedback, ask questions and raise our concerns. This is something other companies could learn from. We know what we want, we know what we need, we have a voice, so listen and learn before creating your product or service.

Personally, that lack of control would take some getting used to. It'll take an adjustment period to solely trust and rely on the device to safely take me where I plan to go. In theory, it sounds like a brilliant device, that's a cross-between a cane and a guide dog. For people who don't want the responsibility of taking care of a guide dog, it could be a good alternative. However, I think it needs to be tested in real-life scenarios, such as crossing the road, navigating crowds, getting on the train platform etc. in a city like London these are real-life situations you would use the device, it's important to see how it fares in that environment. Also, different countries have different designs, some countries have narrow pathways that people walk through. Other countries have situations where the road and pavement become one. Can glide adapt to each countries existing system? Do you need to keep you cane on standby to go up and down the stairs? How big of a bag do I need to carry my glide and cane? Lastly, both the cane and guide dog are universally recognised as mobility aids. Would the general public understand what the glide device is?

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: photo of glide from the glidance website, on a pink and purple background. The device is shaped like a child's toy vacuum cleaner with a long white handle and two wheels on the right and left-hand slide at the bottom. The bottom part is red, with a black stripe above it and above that on white is the "glide" logo. The handle at the top has a black circle near it, which could be a camera. 

Overall, I would rather wait to see what users think of the device once it's available in December 2025, instead of pre-ordering it right now. Yes, that does mean I would be missing out on the  30% discount pre-order price of $1049 (£834.53) and potentially pay $1499 (£1192.52). Plus you have to pay an additional $20 (£15.92) monthly fee for the software. To me, it's important to wait for reviews, learn from other peoples' experiences before investing in the product. 

What would you do in my situation? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

Nanjiba