When it comes to worldly threats, our eyes and intuition can only do so much.
The spider sense suit, a prototype built by University of Illinois PhD candidate Victor Mateevitis, helps to fill in the gap.
Using tiny robotic arms equipped with ultrasonic sensors, the spider sense suit detects nearby objects and alerts the user via pressure on the skin from the robotic arms.
The current prototype, weighing only 3 pounds and costing $500, features 7 different sensors, covering all the bases that a bad guy can lurk in.
“We have reached a point where technology can sense and react to dangers that we humans cannot sense. Therefore we started experimenting with ideas on how we can use technology to augment our perception of the surrounding environment.” Creator Victor Mateevitsi told Forbes’ Alex Knapp.
The Suit In Action
To test out every comic book nerds dream, Mateevitsi equipped fellow students with the suit and then blindfolded them. When they felt an oncoming attacker, they were to eliminate them using cardboard ninja stars.
With the initial prototype, the wearers felt and nailed the threat 95% of the time.
While much of the appeal of this suit is its comic-bookesque charm, it could one day be molded into a key asset for the blind. Mateevitsi has stated that he has every intention of eventually seeking a commercial model.
What other uses for a spider sense suit can you think of?
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