There's one for poclington trust too, here's the dates for anyone in the UK:
•
London, UK, Demo Day - Monday, November 4th, 2024
Hosted by the Thomas Pocklington Trust. Space is limited, so register early!
•
Sight Village Exhibition, London, UK - Tuesday, November 5th, 2024
The Glidance team will have a big in-person presence at this year’s Sight Village exhibition in London. Stop by our booth anytime from 10:30pm - 5:30pm to meet the team and get your hands on Glide! Given space limitations, we may not be able to offer our typical extensive demo sessions, but you will still be able to physically experience Glide.
I'm excited, no it won't have all the things I want at the moment, mainly map intergration but I'm looking forward to checking it out.
I first check out Glide almost a year ago, before CES, and was shocked and disappointed that it was remote controlled by a person, felt like a toy vacume, had to be carried up and down stairs and curbs. All of that was fine, since it was a prototype, but they video recorded demos that were faked and staged as if it was really doing all the things it claims, which was bad enough, but Glidance interviewed us on video asking us to imagine and pretend this thing did all they said it does, and how it would benefit our lives. was with the goal/objective to impress the press and media at Consumer Electronics Show 2024 and Venture Capitalist funders. I see this video continues on the theme of what they expect, want, and how it'll be in the future, but highly produced to trick and fool people to think that this is how it'll work and benefit blind people's lives.
I understand where you're coming from completely but I'm not annoyed, they out right state that these demos are kind of faked a bit to show what they hope the device can do in the future.
SO i'm still excited to test out the demo unit at sight village.
If it's controlled by a person then I will be a bit disappointed but at the same time I'd prefer them to take it slow and steady and not just rush things so I look forward to checking it out and then seeing what actual people say next year.
I'll probably look into getting one the year after if it's any good. Keep in mind, this device is always going to be improving, yes we have phones and that's fine but I like the idea of walking around with a device that isn't a cane.
This is indigogo or go fund me, or something like that.
Those who pre-ordered, they were made aware that the product is yet to be developed, so, final product might go above or below expectations.
I for one would never put substantial amount, say, above $50 in anything which isn't a real thing at that time.
I guess everyone's money losing capacity is different.
Why are you choosing to talk in this way about a process that has been open, that many of us here have taken part in and is still happening? I'm struggling to think of anything in your comment that is correct.
What is your point? Do you not want blind people to have advanced mobility devices? Do you want to save then from loosing money investing in something that never happens? Or, do you not want us to have our feelings hurt?
Kevinchao89 as Lotttie says we knew this from the beginning. They even pointed out in 1 video that someone had to walk with the person as the workings were still on the ipad. So, where is the con? Also, have you checked out the last two audio described videos? Amos is on his own without help. At this stage it is looking promising and they are completely transparrant with what is happening. So please before making wild unfounded accusations make sure you have evidence to present or just leave the post alone.
As my comment mentioned, I'm just sharing my real-world experience with Glidance/Glide and what happen when I tried them first-hand in real life in-person.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone here, especially those who are saying I'm lying or wrong, actually tried Glide out in-person in real life? Or, are we disputing and arguing based on highly-produced audio described videos?
I'd not call it a con and all that, I don't think it is at all, but, I believe the glides audio is pre recorded, if that wasn't the case; we'd hear the cars and so on in the background.
It doesn't bother me, I hope they can get to the stage where it's usable without having to do that but I do see his point.
I'm very interested in this though because it isn't a cane, yeah it might look odd, according to what i've heard; it looks like a hoover, but designs can change,, and it's only going to get better.
A person on reddit was saying that their cane doesn't require any battteries, is light and so on and whilst that's true, this thing is going to guide us round things like pot holes, bolards, and stuff like that.
They said this isn't going to be the standout device we think it is but I think they're wrong, if it can deliver on what the team says it can, I'll be looking forward to this new way of getting around.
and they've explained everything clearly: the demo days, the videos, the financial aspects, and the overall timeline. I’m confident that there was no deception involved when I gave them $900. I’m aware of what will be happening between now and the end of 2025. Through several audio-described videos, I have a solid understanding of what they claim the device will do.
I know what I’ve paid for, how they plan to turn the idea into a product or service, and I have a clear idea of how I will assess what’s delivered. Plus, I have the option to return it and get my money back if needed.
There were no tricks, no fake prototypes passed off as real. They presented their ideas, made them as tangible as possible, secured backers, and are working on turning that idea into a product. And yes, the person in the video is real—a real blind person, just like they claimed.
@kevinchao89 you have to lift it up curbs and stairs because it isn't made to go up them, I'm completely fine with that however because the device is light, at only 2 grams, around 4 pounds.
I take back what I said, I think you were expecting a finished product or something, it was controled by a person because they didn't have a fully working device then, it looks like a hoover/vacume cleaner, well i'm sure that will change in the future.
Of course they want to impress the press and buyers, otherwise they'd have no backers.
I really should have reread the message you wrote because like Charlotte said, I don't think you could be more rong.
I thought you were only talking about the audio being added in, and could see how that could be a bit disappointing but this team is very very clear with their goles moving forward.
If you're interested, i'd highly recommend checking it out in 2 years, once it's up and running, I think you'll be surprised.
I look forward to the day I can take this out, without a cane and just go. it'll be so freeing and if it's not what was promiced, well, so be it.
I will definitely be there.
I'm really looking forward to taking a look at this and seeing how it all works. The Everything is advancing around us, and although I'm not gonna go and buy every product, I sure wanna check them all out. I'll settle on the right products at the right time, but let's see what it can do, and what it will end up being able to do!
i know a huge amount of people want see it but should have been a bigger venue? sorry, but 27 % of blind people like me work we can't just go to an event at the drop of a hat and now i find that it is wait-listed who on earth would want to drop out on monday 4th?
what a stupid decision to host in a cramped area it seems like pocklington? that like hosting a taylor swift concert with like 20 tickets to sell and 10k people interested.
My detailed post on driving Glide is on AppleVis. The latest video is showing great progress. For the person complaining that this is controlled by remote and that the videos are faked, I will point out that launch day is a year away and that a device like this is not something you slap together in a garage in a week.
The Glidance team has been super open and transparent. They WANT to hear from us with suggestions, comments and questions. I submitted feedback based on the video and got a reply right away.
it isn't fake to be fair, they had to drive it via a person to start with as they have to assemble it.
just hoping can get try it next year; i thought people could test it in real-world environments as testers though?
i don't have the funds at this moment to begin saving for it and if i did i'd want to see one before i do; it's like a car for a sighted person they'd get the chance to drive it before they even commit we have to pay for it, plus shipping fees, then have it try yes, for 60 days then send it back at our own cost, so hard to know what to do really; i have very narrow pavements where i live in the Uk, not wide like US or London UK or Birmingham, plus other big cities, what if i fall off the kerb as walking how much space would it need to traverse a pavement? is it adticipating a large side-walk as the americans call it?
i was hoping go London but as i anticipated demand outweighs space to see it which is to be expected?
It is also at sight village on the 5th. Doesn't help if you work but it isn't just one venue. Also, being based in the US they probably wouldn't know just how big a venue is. We're lucky to get 2 days this year. Sure some will get there and hopefully someone may comment on here.
I think the guiding is quite advanced. Hoping this technology can be more mature in the process of time.
Note, we have 11 Labs Matilda as the guiding voice. I wonder if in the future, such online voices can be used offline. It's really cool to hear her, though.
Yes it says it's a sign up form but you can ask your questions in the,, do you have anything else to say, part, i'll be asking them if they intend on adding an email or a option just to email the team instead of just using the sign up form.
I did exactly this yesterday. Had a suggestion and couldn't find any direct link. Asked them if there is one or could they add one. So if they come back with something I'll paste it here.
the average mobile/cell phone is not $1499,99 though $1049 is more reasonable
this will have to come down a lot i feel, as believe me when you work/if can work and have a family to support it is not easily in reach and buying it on someone say-so is a bit tricky; the venue they chose though for london is so cramped by the sound of it, i can't get to SV London as i hold down a full-time job but i had to book off the day just to see if could get it first, then to book and be on a wait-list?
@will, i'm sorry that you can't afford it at the moment but there's no way they'd lower the price.
The tech that goes into these things isn't cheep.
Yeah, charaties should be able to help in the UK once they know about this device.
Having said that, the client would have to pay the monthly fees, or I assume that's how it would work as they can't be expected to pay everything in my oppinion.
It's also at site village, the venue there wouldn't be cramped but you'd not get the full glidance experience because of the amount of people who will be there.
Camras that can see in all directions,, AI that is the best of the best, Sensors that are the top of the top, it's going to be water resistant and able to stand being below 0 tempriture, honestly i'm surprised they're not charging 2000 for it.
As for work vs not work, that depends on the person and how good they are at handling money, if you have kids,, that's on you, that's not on the company.
This device is going to keep getting better, and the second version might cost a bit more or a bit less, depending on how the market for this tech is.
I'll try and make a quick recording when i go to sight village for others to know how it feels.
A small group of people developing a cutting-edge blend of robotics, navigation and artifical intelligence to replace the primary mobility device of blind people with something that is actually better are greedy because they have set a price that is less than the cost of a Macbook Pro?
As someone who has been paying and not paying for Assistive Technology for almost forty years, this beggars belief!
Notice: from memory the commenter who has said most about cost in this thread is from the UK, where I live. If this is in fact true, my comments stand. If it is not true, I withdraw my comments in full and will delete/amend them as soon as i am made aware of this. The UK is still one of the seven riches countries in the world and still has, IMO, a good welfare system. Blind people are able to claim a 'mobility componeant' os that can, for example, be surrendered in return for a new family car every three years, all expsenses paid except fuel!
So, you wil see, even $1500 and $20 a month is not out of reach for the vast majority of blind UK residents - for which I am most grateful.
If it's successful, I hope they look for streamlining and outsourcing manufacturing.
Yes, I come from one of these developing countries, and I feel, we can make it for a fraction of it's current cost.
Things, labor, land, and machinery is not as expensive as US/UK/Canada here currently.
And lowering the cost and price should be objective of any assistive tech maker.
sorry but no! $1049 should be its price the average phone is not $1499,99 of course people who are not in work can afford this they don't pay for anything!! so it is greed whether people like to admit it or not. pure greed.
the price of $1049 is only the beginning, how much would the next one be and the next and the next and the next.
so, i standing by what i saying $1499,99 is a lot for a guide, sighted people don't pay $1049 to use their eyesight and does it even work on narrow pavements? not every town has huge wide pavements?
sorry but just my thoughts the cost like all other blindness specific tech is monopolised.
What has this to do with any phone? It is simplyy not possible to compare this to any phone. It's like comparing a mercedes to a mini. Some of the tech maybe similar but price wise it isn't anything like the same. Yes this works on narrow pavements. Glide works out how wide something is then guides you up the middle so 6m or 2m wouldn't make a difference.
The cost of a device like this is not just the hardware. Real people who eat, sleep and breathe expend energy to think, code, solder, tinker and solve problems to get the device working. In exchange for their energy and time, they get paid. The labour cost of these people is factored into the cost of the physical device, not to mention software licensing, regulatory fees, legal and other invisible costs. Anyone claiming that the makers of Glide are driven by greed lacks a basic understanding of how economics and businesses work.
There is also the equation of cost vs. benefit. If this device ran for 10 minutes before requiring a 4 hour charge, only drove straight and just beeped, the cost would be high and the benefit would be low. Instead, this device does quite a lot for costing what it costs. The cost is high (relatively speaking), but so is the benefit as demonstrated in the latest video.
As with all new product categories, the cost will fall with future iterations of the device. Think back to how much the first DVD players, colour laser printers or HDTVs costed back in the 90s versus today.
I think as others have said, to say that they're charging to high is quite frankly rediculus. In terms of a device such as this, we need the best people working on it with the best hardware available. To make that happen, a premium price needs to be payed to cover the costs and, because they're a for profit company, to make some money as well.
As for the demo day, I've signed up to go to the Thomas Pocklington trust building to try it out. I managed to do so before having to be put on a wait list so I'll report back if I get to spend time with it.
When this was initially started and when I saw it and got hands-on in real life world demo, almost a year ago, last December, the price quoted was an average cell phone price plan...
I don't work but to say I don't pay for anything is just silly.
I pay for the following: internet, phone, food/rent money.
No it isn't a huge amount each month but it's still something.
The truth is, if you want this device, you're going to have to do what we all will, save money.
@kevinchao89 Yeah, I heard that too but the thing is, tech changes.
Also, I'm assuming they're talking about the most expencive phones.
If this topic continues to be nothing but talking about the price, then I will be forced to take it down as we won't get anywhere going round and round in circles.
i hope those of us who can attend Tuesday 5 november can walk glide but even if at sight village Birmingham in the future, the crowds will be large.
i got this when asked in general about walking with it.
‎Your message, Glad to hear you'll be able to visit Glidance at Sight Village.  We don't know what the setup will be at the conference, or how much flexibility we'll have with space and time to do demos.  AT the very least, you will be able to get hands on the current prototypes and probably walk up and down a bit in the conference hall (though no promises there).  And the team will be there to answer any questions you have.
There is an actual demo day planned
if that works at all for you.  I know this has all been very last minute and we regret that causes conflicts with schedules.  We will be back in the UK probably in the not too distant future.  We will make every attempt to give a much longer heads up for future visits., 9:17 am, ‎Sent to Ian M, ‎Delivered
a lot of people i think will want see this i just hope people can get to see it in person but even on the 4th november think be a lot of disappointed customers; the only true way of course, to see this is in person.
It's still going to be a prototype, I'm completely fine with this way of doing things and am willing to put down the money, if they're willing to make this thing work with map apps, which I think they are.
I mainly want to use this as a map app replacement unit, I want to be able to turn off, at least a little bit, and have glidance guide me with map directions and bus stop times and all that.
I am in total agreement. Adding map/gps functionality would truly make this a game changer, tired as I am of hearing that particular phrase, it fits in this case.
I'll be mentioning it as something that really really needs to be looked into.
The main guy, Aimus? doesn't want it to be that way and that's fine for him, but for those of us who just want to get from point a to b and back again, i think it's crusial.
When I had my Guide Dog, this is what I would do. I would have my dog’s harness and leash in one hand, and have my iPhone going off in my other hand, or in a pocket with an earbud in, listening to walking directions to get from point A to point B.
I think it already does. Or, at least to a certain extent. There are two modes; You guide/walk or it guides. The 2nd is the map part. I think you enter a destination say Sainsburys in town or maybe a postcode/zip code and it takes you there. In both instances you push it never pulls.
Your dog doesn't have GPS, your cane won't give you walking directions to the local butchers. They are building the Alpha devices ATM, maps are the bigger picture. The bigger picture that needs to be and will be addressed before launch..
Think about mobility as travel and think of it as three processes all connected.
1. Going somewhere, this is where maps wil come in, if you don't know how to get where you want to go.
2. Finding it when you get there - this is the last fifty feet problem we al know about.
3. Avoiding obsticles along the way - not gettting killed or at least not getting yur teeth knocked out.
I was not trying to suggest that Glyde would be useless without built-in GPS, but rather, that I would just use my Phone GPS to get around. I hope that makes sense?
For me, it's not actually obstacle avoidance that really sells this product but the ability to hook into GPS and combine it with live vision/awareness of what's around. I really struggle with spatial awareness/concepts and so sometimes even GPS is somewhat difficult because I'll do something wrong and not be entirely sure of what I've done. I can avoid potholes and park benches just fine with my cane, but a device that can know I'm trying to go to the coffee shop three blocks over, steer me there and help me find the door would be everything to me as someone who really struggles with mental maps/translating GPS into actions. So whether or not Glide will be for me really does depend on this functionality. I have preordered because they say it will be something they add in the future, but will return in a heartbeat if this changes. Not to say, to be clear, that just a navigation/cane replacement is bad, I can see that being really useful to people in a different way, it's just not what I personally need.
So I am expecting it to do all three taks. If I will actually leave the house without a stick, I can't see it right now, but there is a year to go.
But they have stated that they are building a primary mobility device, so that means no cane, no dog. We will see.
I do think it is probs OK of them to assume nobody using it won't have a smart phone in there pocket. If that is the case, they have all those smarts to play wiht to.
Honestly, i'm looking forward to going round my block with this thing but yeah, for me, they do need to add map stuff, which they will be doing in the future.
I love that this isn't a cain, and can't wait.
If I can, I will be making a recording of glide when I get the unit.
Don't expect maps on launch, unfortunetly it's going to have to be an over the air update, I'm just hoping it doesn't take a year or two just to do that.
Well,, that's what they say at the moment, things can always change.
@charlotte Honestly? I enjoy the idea of being a bit of a rebble? It's like, oh, i'm meant to use my cane here, nah, let's just totally not do that at all. What's that? I might die or get run over? Meh, freeeedooooom!
Unshackle thyself from thy cainly knolege, use thy glidance device and it shall glide thee to fredom!
Where does it say there will be no map integration at launch? I've read loads of stuff and have never seen anything like that. Also, as I said in my previous post it must have maps already there. Otherwise, how could it take you turn by turn from one location to another by itself? I maybe missing something here.
If you read the glidance page, I forget where it is right now, it mentions the thigs they expect to have on launch and map apps integration isn't there, it's going to be pushed as an over the air update some time in the future.
Keep in mind i've not tried the unit but from what i'm reading on their page, when you get it, it will be starting out as a device where you need to know the rout you're going on. Basically you start walking with glide and it will tell you,, crosswalk left, crosswalk right, then you have to choose what way you want to go by pressing a button on the handle, then the device will stear you in that direction, then if it's a road, it will brake and wait for you to press a button to cross, you will still need to listen out for cars and things like that.
I'm going to talk to the developers at site village about ading map integration as soon as possible as it's something most of us want/expect from launch, but I can't promice anything but i'll be pushing a little bit because as much as I like the idea of the unit,, without maps it's quite useless to me as we have one mobility instructor for our entire burrough and I'd prefer not to get him out here to learn a rout if I can help it.
Comments
They're coming to Site village in London!
There's one for poclington trust too, here's the dates for anyone in the UK:
•
London, UK, Demo Day - Monday, November 4th, 2024
Hosted by the Thomas Pocklington Trust. Space is limited, so register early!
•
Sight Village Exhibition, London, UK - Tuesday, November 5th, 2024
The Glidance team will have a big in-person presence at this year’s Sight Village exhibition in London. Stop by our booth anytime from 10:30pm - 5:30pm to meet the team and get your hands on Glide! Given space limitations, we may not be able to offer our typical extensive demo sessions, but you will still be able to physically experience Glide.
I'm excited, no it won't have all the things I want at the moment, mainly map intergration but I'm looking forward to checking it out.
Staged / faked
I first check out Glide almost a year ago, before CES, and was shocked and disappointed that it was remote controlled by a person, felt like a toy vacume, had to be carried up and down stairs and curbs. All of that was fine, since it was a prototype, but they video recorded demos that were faked and staged as if it was really doing all the things it claims, which was bad enough, but Glidance interviewed us on video asking us to imagine and pretend this thing did all they said it does, and how it would benefit our lives. was with the goal/objective to impress the press and media at Consumer Electronics Show 2024 and Venture Capitalist funders. I see this video continues on the theme of what they expect, want, and how it'll be in the future, but highly produced to trick and fool people to think that this is how it'll work and benefit blind people's lives.
I understand your point completely.
I understand where you're coming from completely but I'm not annoyed, they out right state that these demos are kind of faked a bit to show what they hope the device can do in the future.
SO i'm still excited to test out the demo unit at sight village.
If it's controlled by a person then I will be a bit disappointed but at the same time I'd prefer them to take it slow and steady and not just rush things so I look forward to checking it out and then seeing what actual people say next year.
I'll probably look into getting one the year after if it's any good. Keep in mind, this device is always going to be improving, yes we have phones and that's fine but I like the idea of walking around with a device that isn't a cane.
At least they are openly stating it
This is indigogo or go fund me, or something like that.
Those who pre-ordered, they were made aware that the product is yet to be developed, so, final product might go above or below expectations.
I for one would never put substantial amount, say, above $50 in anything which isn't a real thing at that time.
I guess everyone's money losing capacity is different.
kevinchao89 you could not be more wrong
Why are you choosing to talk in this way about a process that has been open, that many of us here have taken part in and is still happening? I'm struggling to think of anything in your comment that is correct.
What is your point? Do you not want blind people to have advanced mobility devices? Do you want to save then from loosing money investing in something that never happens? Or, do you not want us to have our feelings hurt?
What are your lies for?
Yes we knew that
Kevinchao89 as Lotttie says we knew this from the beginning. They even pointed out in 1 video that someone had to walk with the person as the workings were still on the ipad. So, where is the con? Also, have you checked out the last two audio described videos? Amos is on his own without help. At this stage it is looking promising and they are completely transparrant with what is happening. So please before making wild unfounded accusations make sure you have evidence to present or just leave the post alone.
Real-world experience in real life in-person
As my comment mentioned, I'm just sharing my real-world experience with Glidance/Glide and what happen when I tried them first-hand in real life in-person.
Just out of curiosity, has anyone here, especially those who are saying I'm lying or wrong, actually tried Glide out in-person in real life? Or, are we disputing and arguing based on highly-produced audio described videos?
I can see his point.
I'd not call it a con and all that, I don't think it is at all, but, I believe the glides audio is pre recorded, if that wasn't the case; we'd hear the cars and so on in the background.
It doesn't bother me, I hope they can get to the stage where it's usable without having to do that but I do see his point.
I'm very interested in this though because it isn't a cane, yeah it might look odd, according to what i've heard; it looks like a hoover, but designs can change,, and it's only going to get better.
A person on reddit was saying that their cane doesn't require any battteries, is light and so on and whilst that's true, this thing is going to guide us round things like pot holes, bolards, and stuff like that.
They said this isn't going to be the standout device we think it is but I think they're wrong, if it can deliver on what the team says it can, I'll be looking forward to this new way of getting around.
They are building the alpha device this week,
and they've explained everything clearly: the demo days, the videos, the financial aspects, and the overall timeline. I’m confident that there was no deception involved when I gave them $900. I’m aware of what will be happening between now and the end of 2025. Through several audio-described videos, I have a solid understanding of what they claim the device will do.
I know what I’ve paid for, how they plan to turn the idea into a product or service, and I have a clear idea of how I will assess what’s delivered. Plus, I have the option to return it and get my money back if needed.
There were no tricks, no fake prototypes passed off as real. They presented their ideas, made them as tangible as possible, secured backers, and are working on turning that idea into a product. And yes, the person in the video is real—a real blind person, just like they claimed.
ok, I've just reread the comment.
@kevinchao89 you have to lift it up curbs and stairs because it isn't made to go up them, I'm completely fine with that however because the device is light, at only 2 grams, around 4 pounds.
I take back what I said, I think you were expecting a finished product or something, it was controled by a person because they didn't have a fully working device then, it looks like a hoover/vacume cleaner, well i'm sure that will change in the future.
Of course they want to impress the press and buyers, otherwise they'd have no backers.
I really should have reread the message you wrote because like Charlotte said, I don't think you could be more rong.
I thought you were only talking about the audio being added in, and could see how that could be a bit disappointing but this team is very very clear with their goles moving forward.
If you're interested, i'd highly recommend checking it out in 2 years, once it's up and running, I think you'll be surprised.
I look forward to the day I can take this out, without a cane and just go. it'll be so freeing and if it's not what was promiced, well, so be it.
Looking forward to sight village
I will definitely be there.
I'm really looking forward to taking a look at this and seeing how it all works. The Everything is advancing around us, and although I'm not gonna go and buy every product, I sure wanna check them all out. I'll settle on the right products at the right time, but let's see what it can do, and what it will end up being able to do!
waitlist?
how small is the thomas pocklington trust?
i know a huge amount of people want see it but should have been a bigger venue? sorry, but 27 % of blind people like me work we can't just go to an event at the drop of a hat and now i find that it is wait-listed who on earth would want to drop out on monday 4th?
what a stupid decision to host in a cramped area it seems like pocklington? that like hosting a taylor swift concert with like 20 tickets to sell and 10k people interested.
i have had book the day off for it.
I Drove Glide
My detailed post on driving Glide is on AppleVis. The latest video is showing great progress. For the person complaining that this is controlled by remote and that the videos are faked, I will point out that launch day is a year away and that a device like this is not something you slap together in a garage in a week.
The Glidance team has been super open and transparent. They WANT to hear from us with suggestions, comments and questions. I submitted feedback based on the video and got a reply right away.
it won't be fake just sorry can't see it in 3 weeks hardly time
it isn't fake to be fair, they had to drive it via a person to start with as they have to assemble it.
just hoping can get try it next year; i thought people could test it in real-world environments as testers though?
i don't have the funds at this moment to begin saving for it and if i did i'd want to see one before i do; it's like a car for a sighted person they'd get the chance to drive it before they even commit we have to pay for it, plus shipping fees, then have it try yes, for 60 days then send it back at our own cost, so hard to know what to do really; i have very narrow pavements where i live in the Uk, not wide like US or London UK or Birmingham, plus other big cities, what if i fall off the kerb as walking how much space would it need to traverse a pavement? is it adticipating a large side-walk as the americans call it?
i was hoping go London but as i anticipated demand outweighs space to see it which is to be expected?
Will
Don't forget
It is also at sight village on the 5th. Doesn't help if you work but it isn't just one venue. Also, being based in the US they probably wouldn't know just how big a venue is. We're lucky to get 2 days this year. Sure some will get there and hopefully someone may comment on here.
This sounds rather interesting
I think the guiding is quite advanced. Hoping this technology can be more mature in the process of time.
Note, we have 11 Labs Matilda as the guiding voice. I wonder if in the future, such online voices can be used offline. It's really cool to hear her, though.
@will.
As others have said,, it'll be at site village London too.
Unfortunetly, this is going to have to be one of those word of mouth things if you can't get to try it for yourself.
I'd recommend contacting the glidance team with your questions:
https://glidance.io/signup/
Yes it says it's a sign up form but you can ask your questions in the,, do you have anything else to say, part, i'll be asking them if they intend on adding an email or a option just to email the team instead of just using the sign up form.
Brad
I did exactly this yesterday. Had a suggestion and couldn't find any direct link. Asked them if there is one or could they add one. So if they come back with something I'll paste it here.
the price should remain as is
the average mobile/cell phone is not $1499,99 though $1049 is more reasonable
this will have to come down a lot i feel, as believe me when you work/if can work and have a family to support it is not easily in reach and buying it on someone say-so is a bit tricky; the venue they chose though for london is so cramped by the sound of it, i can't get to SV London as i hold down a full-time job but i had to book off the day just to see if could get it first, then to book and be on a wait-list?
never mind.
It will be a shame if the price becomes an issue!
But maybe Charity will help? From what I heard, the GDBA spent £128 million in 2022, that was with four thousand dogs in service.
The point is, cost isn't an issue for for advanced mobility solutions.
They can't lower the price.
@will, i'm sorry that you can't afford it at the moment but there's no way they'd lower the price.
The tech that goes into these things isn't cheep.
Yeah, charaties should be able to help in the UK once they know about this device.
Having said that, the client would have to pay the monthly fees, or I assume that's how it would work as they can't be expected to pay everything in my oppinion.
@will.
It's also at site village, the venue there wouldn't be cramped but you'd not get the full glidance experience because of the amount of people who will be there.
price
those who don't work are in a stronger position to pay for it
by the price, i meant no phone costs $1499,99 why should we pay that?
it should stay at $1049 the current price
just greed.
It isn't gread at all.
Do you understand what's going into this device?
Camras that can see in all directions,, AI that is the best of the best, Sensors that are the top of the top, it's going to be water resistant and able to stand being below 0 tempriture, honestly i'm surprised they're not charging 2000 for it.
As for work vs not work, that depends on the person and how good they are at handling money, if you have kids,, that's on you, that's not on the company.
This device is going to keep getting better, and the second version might cost a bit more or a bit less, depending on how the market for this tech is.
I'll try and make a quick recording when i go to sight village for others to know how it feels.
It's a little bit funny
A small group of people developing a cutting-edge blend of robotics, navigation and artifical intelligence to replace the primary mobility device of blind people with something that is actually better are greedy because they have set a price that is less than the cost of a Macbook Pro?
As someone who has been paying and not paying for Assistive Technology for almost forty years, this beggars belief!
Notice: from memory the commenter who has said most about cost in this thread is from the UK, where I live. If this is in fact true, my comments stand. If it is not true, I withdraw my comments in full and will delete/amend them as soon as i am made aware of this. The UK is still one of the seven riches countries in the world and still has, IMO, a good welfare system. Blind people are able to claim a 'mobility componeant' os that can, for example, be surrendered in return for a new family car every three years, all expsenses paid except fuel!
So, you wil see, even $1500 and $20 a month is not out of reach for the vast majority of blind UK residents - for which I am most grateful.
Just make it in those developing countries
If it's successful, I hope they look for streamlining and outsourcing manufacturing.
Yes, I come from one of these developing countries, and I feel, we can make it for a fraction of it's current cost.
Things, labor, land, and machinery is not as expensive as US/UK/Canada here currently.
And lowering the cost and price should be objective of any assistive tech maker.
out of reach
sorry but no! $1049 should be its price the average phone is not $1499,99 of course people who are not in work can afford this they don't pay for anything!! so it is greed whether people like to admit it or not. pure greed.
the price of $1049 is only the beginning, how much would the next one be and the next and the next and the next.
so, i standing by what i saying $1499,99 is a lot for a guide, sighted people don't pay $1049 to use their eyesight and does it even work on narrow pavements? not every town has huge wide pavements?
sorry but just my thoughts the cost like all other blindness specific tech is monopolised.
Phone?
What has this to do with any phone? It is simplyy not possible to compare this to any phone. It's like comparing a mercedes to a mini. Some of the tech maybe similar but price wise it isn't anything like the same. Yes this works on narrow pavements. Glide works out how wide something is then guides you up the middle so 6m or 2m wouldn't make a difference.
Oh and for info
We get the exchange rate so $1499 is around £1100. iPhone 16 promax is around £1000 so not much difference.
rubarb rubarb
This feild left blank.
I'm not discussing the cost anymore
I've made my position clear. I don't want to get banned.
I've have preordered Glide. All I care about now is seeing if they can make it work.
Economics 101
The cost of a device like this is not just the hardware. Real people who eat, sleep and breathe expend energy to think, code, solder, tinker and solve problems to get the device working. In exchange for their energy and time, they get paid. The labour cost of these people is factored into the cost of the physical device, not to mention software licensing, regulatory fees, legal and other invisible costs. Anyone claiming that the makers of Glide are driven by greed lacks a basic understanding of how economics and businesses work.
There is also the equation of cost vs. benefit. If this device ran for 10 minutes before requiring a 4 hour charge, only drove straight and just beeped, the cost would be high and the benefit would be low. Instead, this device does quite a lot for costing what it costs. The cost is high (relatively speaking), but so is the benefit as demonstrated in the latest video.
As with all new product categories, the cost will fall with future iterations of the device. Think back to how much the first DVD players, colour laser printers or HDTVs costed back in the 90s versus today.
My thoughts on price and demo days
I think as others have said, to say that they're charging to high is quite frankly rediculus. In terms of a device such as this, we need the best people working on it with the best hardware available. To make that happen, a premium price needs to be payed to cover the costs and, because they're a for profit company, to make some money as well.
As for the demo day, I've signed up to go to the Thomas Pocklington trust building to try it out. I managed to do so before having to be put on a wait list so I'll report back if I get to spend time with it.
Average cell phone plan price?
When this was initially started and when I saw it and got hands-on in real life world demo, almost a year ago, last December, the price quoted was an average cell phone price plan...
@Karok.
I don't work but to say I don't pay for anything is just silly.
I pay for the following: internet, phone, food/rent money.
No it isn't a huge amount each month but it's still something.
The truth is, if you want this device, you're going to have to do what we all will, save money.
@kevinchao89 Yeah, I heard that too but the thing is, tech changes.
Also, I'm assuming they're talking about the most expencive phones.
If this topic continues to be nothing but talking about the price, then I will be forced to take it down as we won't get anywhere going round and round in circles.
able sight village now
i hope those of us who can attend Tuesday 5 november can walk glide but even if at sight village Birmingham in the future, the crowds will be large.
i got this when asked in general about walking with it.
‎Your message, Glad to hear you'll be able to visit Glidance at Sight Village.  We don't know what the setup will be at the conference, or how much flexibility we'll have with space and time to do demos.  AT the very least, you will be able to get hands on the current prototypes and probably walk up and down a bit in the conference hall (though no promises there).  And the team will be there to answer any questions you have.
There is an actual demo day planned
if that works at all for you.  I know this has all been very last minute and we regret that causes conflicts with schedules.  We will be back in the UK probably in the not too distant future.  We will make every attempt to give a much longer heads up for future visits., 9:17 am, ‎Sent to Ian M, ‎Delivered
Thanks for this.
I'll still atend sight village but won't get my hopes up about trying the unit.
I'm still really looking forward to it though and will probably atend the demo day as well.
hope can be seen
a lot of people i think will want see this i just hope people can get to see it in person but even on the 4th november think be a lot of disappointed customers; the only true way of course, to see this is in person.
Well the thing is.
It's still going to be a prototype, I'm completely fine with this way of doing things and am willing to put down the money, if they're willing to make this thing work with map apps, which I think they are.
I mainly want to use this as a map app replacement unit, I want to be able to turn off, at least a little bit, and have glidance guide me with map directions and bus stop times and all that.
I think this is going to be fun going forward.
Surprisingly, I am in agreement with Brad
I am in total agreement. Adding map/gps functionality would truly make this a game changer, tired as I am of hearing that particular phrase, it fits in this case.
It really does.
I'll be mentioning it as something that really really needs to be looked into.
The main guy, Aimus? doesn't want it to be that way and that's fine for him, but for those of us who just want to get from point a to b and back again, i think it's crusial.
When I had my Guide Dog…
When I had my Guide Dog, this is what I would do. I would have my dog’s harness and leash in one hand, and have my iPhone going off in my other hand, or in a pocket with an earbud in, listening to walking directions to get from point A to point B.
Same principle here. It is how I would use glyde.
Maps
I think it already does. Or, at least to a certain extent. There are two modes; You guide/walk or it guides. The 2nd is the map part. I think you enter a destination say Sainsburys in town or maybe a postcode/zip code and it takes you there. In both instances you push it never pulls.
Don't get hung up on maps!
Your dog doesn't have GPS, your cane won't give you walking directions to the local butchers. They are building the Alpha devices ATM, maps are the bigger picture. The bigger picture that needs to be and will be addressed before launch..
Think about mobility as travel and think of it as three processes all connected.
1. Going somewhere, this is where maps wil come in, if you don't know how to get where you want to go.
2. Finding it when you get there - this is the last fifty feet problem we al know about.
3. Avoiding obsticles along the way - not gettting killed or at least not getting yur teeth knocked out.
So, rmember your A, B, C - G, F, A!
Apologies…
I was not trying to suggest that Glyde would be useless without built-in GPS, but rather, that I would just use my Phone GPS to get around. I hope that makes sense?
maps for me as well.
For me, it's not actually obstacle avoidance that really sells this product but the ability to hook into GPS and combine it with live vision/awareness of what's around. I really struggle with spatial awareness/concepts and so sometimes even GPS is somewhat difficult because I'll do something wrong and not be entirely sure of what I've done. I can avoid potholes and park benches just fine with my cane, but a device that can know I'm trying to go to the coffee shop three blocks over, steer me there and help me find the door would be everything to me as someone who really struggles with mental maps/translating GPS into actions. So whether or not Glide will be for me really does depend on this functionality. I have preordered because they say it will be something they add in the future, but will return in a heartbeat if this changes. Not to say, to be clear, that just a navigation/cane replacement is bad, I can see that being really useful to people in a different way, it's just not what I personally need.
they say it will be the one ring to rule them all!
So I am expecting it to do all three taks. If I will actually leave the house without a stick, I can't see it right now, but there is a year to go.
But they have stated that they are building a primary mobility device, so that means no cane, no dog. We will see.
I do think it is probs OK of them to assume nobody using it won't have a smart phone in there pocket. If that is the case, they have all those smarts to play wiht to.
I'm not saying that either.
Honestly, i'm looking forward to going round my block with this thing but yeah, for me, they do need to add map stuff, which they will be doing in the future.
I love that this isn't a cain, and can't wait.
If I can, I will be making a recording of glide when I get the unit.
Don't expect maps on launch, unfortunetly it's going to have to be an over the air update, I'm just hoping it doesn't take a year or two just to do that.
Well,, that's what they say at the moment, things can always change.
@charlotte Honestly? I enjoy the idea of being a bit of a rebble? It's like, oh, i'm meant to use my cane here, nah, let's just totally not do that at all. What's that? I might die or get run over? Meh, freeeedooooom!
Unshackle thyself from thy cainly knolege, use thy glidance device and it shall glide thee to fredom!
Confused Brad
Where does it say there will be no map integration at launch? I've read loads of stuff and have never seen anything like that. Also, as I said in my previous post it must have maps already there. Otherwise, how could it take you turn by turn from one location to another by itself? I maybe missing something here.
@lee.
If you read the glidance page, I forget where it is right now, it mentions the thigs they expect to have on launch and map apps integration isn't there, it's going to be pushed as an over the air update some time in the future.
Keep in mind i've not tried the unit but from what i'm reading on their page, when you get it, it will be starting out as a device where you need to know the rout you're going on. Basically you start walking with glide and it will tell you,, crosswalk left, crosswalk right, then you have to choose what way you want to go by pressing a button on the handle, then the device will stear you in that direction, then if it's a road, it will brake and wait for you to press a button to cross, you will still need to listen out for cars and things like that.
I'm going to talk to the developers at site village about ading map integration as soon as possible as it's something most of us want/expect from launch, but I can't promice anything but i'll be pushing a little bit because as much as I like the idea of the unit,, without maps it's quite useless to me as we have one mobility instructor for our entire burrough and I'd prefer not to get him out here to learn a rout if I can help it.