Glidance raises $1.5M to develop robots for visually impaired

Glidance raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding for its Accelerate with the hurry robotic that supplies self adequate mobility assistance for the visually impaired. The oversubscribed spherical will chase the come of Accelerate with the hurry, which is now available for pre-remark, and support open the Alpha and BETA tests in behind summer season and early plunge across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and the U.Okay.

Accelerate with the hurry uses AI and navigational robotics to support blind and low-imaginative and prescient americans magnify their independence. Glidance acknowledged the robotic adapts to an individual’s tempo whereas ensuring they avoid barriers. The robotic can furthermore provide some working out of the ambiance thru audio and haptic feedback.

A extra newest era of Accelerate with the hurry has a smaller non-public element that choices a built-in kickstand to park the unit when it’s no longer in train. The intention does no longer train powered wheels and as an different actively steers the person safely around barriers. As a result, the unit is designed to characteristic all day on a single cost.

Amos Miller, co-founder & CEO of Glidance, lost his eyesight in his mid-twenties as a result of a genetic gape condition.

“This non-public experience motivated me to mark Accelerate with the hurry — a resolution I wished and wished for myself. As a dilapidated product government at Microsoft Analysis and Chairman of the Board at Handbook Dogs for the Blind (UK), I dedicated my career to leveraging technology to give intention barriers. Accelerate with the hurry, powered by lowering-edge AI and robotics applied sciences, demonstrates that after such applied sciences take care of meaningful human wants, they’ll mark a mission-scale industry with a essentially intensive affect. We are deeply grateful to our astonishing merchants, who continue to scenario and book us in shaping our industry model and strategy.”

Glidance obtained the 2023 RoboBusiness Pitchfire Startup Competition. RoboBusiness is produced by The Robotic File and guardian firm WTWH Media. RoboBusiness 2024 takes region Oct. 16-17 in Santa Clara, Calif. and is shopping for startups to compete in Pitchfire. Competing startups receive a free booth on the expo ground, can time table one-on-one meetings with merchants, community with hundreds of industry colleagues and extra. Catch out this non-public right here by Aug. 9 to be belief of.

Glidance’s pre-seed spherical noticed participation from Grep VC, Prota Ventures, Greenwood & Cavalier, St. Johns Community Carrier, Alliance of Angels, TiE Oregon Angels, and varied industry-main angel merchants and groups.

“Glidance confirms the technology optimist in us all,” acknowledged Paul Willard, managing director of Grep VC. “Sizable founders can apply lowering-edge tech to present a take to lives so powerfully that they furthermore mark mighty mark propositions for industry and merchants.”

In its funding announcement, Glidance acknowledged 98% of blind americans identify now to no longer head away house by myself as a result of the inability of accessible navigation alternatives. In the U.S., there are 7.3 million visually impaired americans, but handiest a runt fragment hold access to white canes and book dogs as a result of miniature functions, coaching classes, and funding.

Miller was once a guest on The Robotic File Podcast in October 2023 and laid out his experience-to-market notion. Glidance furthermore obtained a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award.