Spotlight: Biped

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VOICEOVER: Spotlight, Biped. Maël Fabian, CEO of Biped. Gustavo Carvajal, Idea Catalyst.

MAËL FABIEN: Thank you, Karae and Ross. Thank you so much for hosting an event like this. I think it’s really, really cool to see that much degree of excitement for new assistive technology, especially in the small field of mobility. So my name is Maël. I’m the co-founder of BIPED.ai. I launched BIPED about three years ago, and we have our first product on the market. And just for the anecdote, the Vista Center was actually one of the first places I visited to demo the device within the first year of the creation of the first prototype. And I’m joined today also by Gustavo, who’s one of our founders. Very early adopters. So Gustavo, if you want to just say a few words.

GUSTAVO CARVAJAL: Thank you so much for the opportunity. I am Gustavo Carvajal, and this is my new look. So I have been for years a marketing executive in living in New York, commuting to Lisbon. And I’m very fortunate now that I am propelled by NOA to have a more independent life. That’s the reason I’m here. I want to share my journey with you, and also to share how is my BIPED path is.

MAËL FABIEN: Awesome. And thank you again for taking the time, Gustavo. So in the presentation, we’ll just do like a brief overview of what the device is about. And then it’s really about Gustavo and leaving the floor to Gustavo to also explain how he’s using his device and what the kind of benefits he’s saying from it, limitations, where he wants to go. So as a quick mean of introduction, we are a Swiss company. We are based in Lausanne in the French speaking side of Switzerland. We are a spinoff from EPFL. That’s an engineering school here in Lausanne. I met my co-founder, Paul, who’s our CTO, as he was working on autonomous wheelchairs. And Marco, who’s joined us as a COO. Was actually one of the co-founders of Sunu that some of you might know. And Sunu was an obstacle avoidance technology. And so came together and launched NOA. NOA is a device that is addressing the target of mobility for those who are blind or have low vision. We’ve run extensive studies and the key finding was loss of mobility and independence is very often cited as one of the biggest pains. But what we’ve seen is that this was much more of a riskier model. And so it’s not only for visually impaired people. There are many other factors, but it’s also a riskier model. So this is something we want to address. So far, the main methods to address it are really based on training. So, depending on the country and scheme, training is done with orientation and mobility specialists. And they’re doing a fantastic job on the on the field with a base training. For example, here in Switzerland, we are. We’ve got a base package of 20 hours. And then we have another one. And then we’ve got about two to six hours of training for every new route A to B. And that part remains quite hard to scale, especially when you want to discover a lot of new places. And one thing we’ve also realized is that, you know, looking at existing technology, you’ve got GPS systems, you’ve got electronic canes, you’ve got smart glasses, they can all do something somehow. But quite often, a GPS system is not going to be precise enough to tell you when to turn. Smart cane can potentially detect obstacles that are on the way, but they do not detect like ground level obstacles, like holes in drop offs, or they can hardly pick up like lateral moving obstacles. And smart glasses can be used somehow to find the front desk or find elevators, but they’re, you know, not the most practical to use outdoors for mobility, even though they’re doing a great job indoors. And so, you know, thinking about all this, we started to design a product that takes all of these aspects into consideration, how do we build an all-in-one mobility solution that is hands-free, that can guide the person, that can help avoid obstacles and that can solve this last mile challenge of actually finding the entrance, finding the door of a building. or finding a crosswalk or like visual elements um we named this device NOA so NOA stands for navigation obstacle in ai so we didn’t didn’t look too far when it comes to finding the name we literally picked the acronym of the features NOA is a small mobility vest that i’m currently wearing on my shoulders and so is gustavo the the mobility vest weighs around two pounds one kilogram we have on the left hand side three cameras that have 170 degrees of field of view to replicate the field of view of a sighted person we have a small ai computer on the right hand side that has a set of buttons and controls not to have to control it with a smartphone but to be able to really just type in on the buttons and the battery behind the neck and the key idea is that the device as you walk will give you gps instructions turn on the camera when you’re walking when you’re walking the camera will turn on the camera when left at 10 o’clock, continue straight for 30 feet. It will give you obstacle avoidance features that you can turn on and off and customize the range with beeps that tell you about an incoming obstacle. And we have integrated AI features to solve this last mile challenge. So, be able to find the door, be able to find the entrance, find the front desk, or find, for example, a crosswalk. And so really trying to bundle together all of these features. So that’s mostly what NOA is about. I have a quick demonstration video where on the video, we can see someone walking with a cane in the streets, avoiding a pedestrian that is on his right. And the person just hears a beep, beep, beep, beep, beep as the obstacle comes closer. The beep itself has a 3D effect. So you can hear it from the top, from the bottom, from left or right. And then we present a small video of what the software actually visualizes inside of the device. So it’s running in real-time. It’s running at about 10 images per second. And so the device basically captures all of the surrounding obstacles and is trying to predict in real-time where the obstacles are going and is there going to be a risk of collision. This allows us to filter a lot of the potential obstacles around the person, and only plays sounds when it’s actually rather relevant. And in the video, the person is then reaching closer to an intersection where the GPS in the same headphones would tell him, ‘Turn right at two o’clock’, and the person makes the turn. We’ve built NOA as a complement to white canes and guide dogs, involving dozens of orientation and mobility trainers to address the limitations of a traditional white cane without replacing it. I think that’s the main aspect that we usually want to carry. It’s a device that is positioned as a next step to someone who’s feeling confident walking with a cane, with a fast and scalable training in the sense that learning to use the device, the initial introduction is about two hours. And after eight to 10 hours, we see most people picking up replicable skills for new journeys. The vision around the the company is really to go from having people feel safe today when walking in their neighborhoods to then feeling empowered to discover the world with the device. And I think Gustavo is probably in a good position to comment on these things. But it’s really getting out of the comfort zone, even when it comes to mobility. And for that, what we need to do is make sure that, you know, with devices and with all new types of technologies in general, when we introduce them, people feel confident, they use it, and they actually have an improved mobility. And so that’s why we are running very frequent user surveys. And so far on the user surveys conducted, 100% of the user base has declared improved mobility within an average use of 2. 3 times per week. So that means it’s not a device that you’re potentially going to use every single day. It’s, it’s potentially a device that you would use to commute from A to B and gradually introduce new places that you would like to discover with the device. And yeah, some some extra testimonials that we wanted to share also, from from David Woodbridge, who’s working in the assistive tech department at Vision Australia, who was sharing that he was very excited and impressed by the his use of the device. Some of the testimonials that we also shot at Sight City in Frankfurt, Germany last year.

VOICEOVER: Really good experience, it recognizes obstacles around you and I walk with it without my cane. I must say I’m really impressed, I think this is going to be the game-changer.

MAËL FABIEN: As a quick summary word, NOA is intending to become a navigation device, an obstacle detector, and a pair of smart glasses, but bundled for mobility, essentially, as a complement to white canes. Typically, you would see that type of device kick in once white cane training has been completed and once the user has a specific interest in actually exploring the source. That’s it for my presentation now, I think on to the exciting part, which is the conversation with Gustavo. Gustavo, thank you again so much for taking the time to have this chat. We’ve met a while back actually, so I just wanted to have maybe the story of how you heard about BIPED in the first place, Gustavo.

GUSTAVO CARVAJAL: So this is a personal story. I’m a member of the visually impaired community and it has been also a challenge when I learned that I have to use the white cane. So myself, my family, my husband, we were looking for new opportunities, new devices, technologies, and I have to tell you that for years, personally and professionally, I have been working from home. I have been working in the field of marketing for innovation. I’m an idea catalyst, a kind of a cool hunter dedicated to marketing. In this case, I became the subject looking for new possibilities. That’s the reason, like maybe more than two years ago, my computer read me a blurb about a Swiss company called BIPED. Immediately, I shared this blur of technology news with my husband and we monitored how it was developing, even engaging by being part of learning about the newsletter that the company had in those days. But when I say it’s personal, it’s because last Christmas, I was surprised because my Christmas gift was a tool for a more independent life. That is what I’m pursuing all my life because I have had my vision condition for many, many years where I was growing and working. And when it was in a different stage, I was looking for something like this and I was surprised, and it was really for me a very important moment. So that’s the reason how I discovered maybe in a natural manner for me. But what I see in this kind of events is how each person of the community, the visually impaired community, we need a team around. I say that it takes a village to help a visually impaired person. And when I say villages, it’s also the family, the friends, everybody. So this message has to reach that kind of community. So I was so happy when I learned about this and it began a team effort. And I began to train myself, but I believe my family, my friends, my husband, everybody is trained. I’m familiar with BIPED, but that’s the reason I feel that I propel to going to places I know by my old roots, but also discovering new ways to land in those places and then going to new brand new places by myself. That is something that we need this kind of accomplishment.

MAËL FABIEN: Yeah, that’s great. And I also remember like just getting the order shortly before Christmas and like rushing in because we had very little supply of devices. So it’s definitely like also was a very special one for us. And the very first time we actually had the units ordered for a Christmas gift and I found it very, very touching also as a story. And so maybe like once you got your device, can you share a bit like your story? Because of course, there are a lot of things that can be improved around like the training, the content, and all these things, but I’m curious also to hear about your training experience and what it feels like unboxing the device and like doing the first sessions with it and how long it took you to feel confident using it.

GUSTAVO CARVAJAL: Well, that Christmas was very special for me. And it’s a gift that has continued on the time. And using NOA for me on a personal matter too, I’m a trilingual person. I speak English, French, and Spanish. Now I feel myself that I’m learning a new language. I feel that I’m learning new vocabulary, new syntaxes, language syntaxes. Maybe I know that there isn’t magical solutions. So that’s the reason I really feel that I’m like developing a new sense. Sometimes I invite in my personal case, we know that everybody has five senses, but I believe having these devices like developing new ways of perceptions. So I believe that we need to learn that kind of language and master those skills to be able to walk with confidence. So in my case, I decided to have a brand new dashboard. Sometimes I have to forget things that I usually do and learn new things. It’s an academic program for me. So for me, the key element for being successful with NOA is practice, practice, and practice. I know that you narrate how many users they use the equipment two or three days per week. I tried to use the equipment maximum I can, I have it like a resource. In the case I went to a place, but now the plan changed and I need to go to a new place. I have NOA. I’m able to do it. So beyond the practice, I have to say that we follow all the instructions as a team at home. Even I have to narrate that at the beginning, I was walking with the cane and the NOA device. And my husband, my husband was on my back in silence looking how I was doing. It’s like gaining trust in the technology. It’s like when you walk with a friend that knows that you have a visual limitation and that person really helps you to go, to stop, to go up, to go down. That is great. But with this machine, with this device, we have to learn to trust NOA. So it was incredible because it was in a progressive, progressive manner. I would say that it was a step by step, street by street, corner by corner. So when I’m going to leave, I have a plan. I study my map, the blocks I have to go, how many bus stops, if there is construction, many things that I have to remember. But also with NOA, NOA helps me sometimes when things change to bring like order to the city. That’s what it is. So training has been very important. We follow the feature that the device has, the online. And one thing that sometimes I use like an emergency line is the WhatsApp because there is a real-time WhatsApp. When I’m lost, something happened, I type, I record, and I receive a message in real-time that led me to do it. And also, there is this companion screen that my husband has, and I can have it. help me remotely how far i am how i don’t understand something because it’s like mastering so so for me now nowadays i have to tell you that it’s me and NOA because to to be transparent when i received the notice i have to use a white cane for me was challenging it was a tough time they have to digest internally to accept when i received NOA was an enabler it was a complete different paradigm for me it was a tool that can help me be more independent because attending these centers of independent life i i need the immediately i had the need of having this kind of life to be more equal to others so so training continues for me yeah training continues and i each time there is a new feature i not try to use all the feature at all time i i’m a cautious person and and i mastered in NOA and someday i’m going to be maybe a master a real master of NOA but now i’m training and following all the instruction and being cautious and use criteria to walk the city yeah yeah that’s

MAËL FABIEN: that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s that’s I think a great point you were mentioning on like this continuous training aspect because, of course, there’s one aspect where the technology keeps evolving. Um, so for example, like next month we’re launching a feature called obstacle scan. So it’s really as you get into a new place, there are buttons on the side and you can just press I mean by the time the video will be out, it will be released, but you just press on the side of the device and it takes a basically a 3D picture, and then you hear the sound of the device and then You hear the sound of the device and then you hear sounds of where the obstacles are located, and then a small sound that tells you which path is open in the area you’re entering. There’s one technology evolution aspect, and there’s also like the aspect of, I think, uh, you know, there is no magical solution that without any training whatsoever, I think this is really my understanding of of the field after having spent four years in in the mobility space; there’s hardly like a magical solution that’s that takes you to like a new place without any training, without anything, without any other assistive technology. That you need to rely on or without any other white cane or without any support, but I think it’s it’s it’s a great like realistic story of like the continuous training so thanks for for sharing this-the parts that I’m um maybe like when I approach next is how do you you know what kind of journeys do you currently do with NOA and and like maybe how do you use it on a like normal day uh where where you work with the with the device like I mentioned before, NOA is like my daily companion I’m I’m with NOA and I believe it’s something that I have integrated to my my lifestyle-I have to tell you that for 20/ 60 years I have been living in

GUSTAVO CARVAJAL: Manhattan, and I know by my my neighborhood by heart so during the process of living with my ‘s sua my vision those 26 years were very, very important because I know my environment. But now, commuting with Lisbon because I’m greeting you from Lisbon is a new city with a different kind of layout, with a different kind of sidewalks, when the different kinds of benches and garbage cans, different kinds of how wide are the the sidewalks in each city, been a learning process and a patient process, because I have to be, to also to be patient, I call myself, and maybe other members of the of the visual impaired community like athletes but a special Kind of athlete, because it’s not an athlete who does something extreme, but it’s like a short-distance athlete. Why? Because for me, maybe my accomplishment is that I go to the supermarket and buy a couple of ingredients I need to cook dinner-that’s a small trip for me. It’s essential in my daily life. Daily life. So I leave a safe space, that is my home, which I know by heart. I feel safe to go to the supermarket. Thanks God, I have a personality that at the supermarket I have a team that helps me to choose the size, the color, the flavor because I’m a customer there. The problem is the path in a new city so walking in Lisbon with with with NOA has been a journey of discovery for myself because, at the beginning, it was functional: going to the supermarket, buying, and coming back. And it was successful at the beginning; everybody called me if I was able to come back or reach the destination okay so. But I, I was able to do it. But what happened, like a month ago, when I came back there is a new urban park and garden three blocks away from home. So I decided to go with NOA to the supermarket, but with one stop at the at the at the garden at the park. That’s quality of life; that’s not a functional journey for me. That is what I envisioned when I was sitting down in New York, in the center. of independent living and asking for desire how to to have a better daily life stopping there taking a call or smelling the grass or learning that is a new museum inside that i haven’t explored at this moment it was incredible so i came back even happier so those small trips is what i call my accomplishment during the day so and and i feel empowered to to do that it’s a learning process i’m very blessed that i have the opportunity to do that i have a team i have a connection with with the equipment also i was very fortunate to visit the headquarters of the company while i was giving feedback i was learning about future future like accomplishment of the technology i remember when when mael wrote in the blackboard something and asked the machine to read and the machine read welcome gustavo for me it was a surprise how how an equipment i can go to places and and and read the the signage so for me is something that gives me more independence i i i’m waiting to use all devices because i still depend on on the a million a myriad of people and some sometimes friend and sometimes unknown people on the streets of manhattan or here who helped me to perform my daily life so it’s that kind of thing that now my neighbor see a person walking with something new A piece of technology that gives us more more capabilities to travel.

MAËL FABIEN: Yeah, I love the the expression ‘short distance athlete.’ I think it just summarizes it so well. Uh, and you just touched on the you know, like when you visited us at the in Switzerland um, I wouldn’t dare to call it the headquarters because it’s really like just an office space but uh, but it looks fancy if we if we call it the headquarters so let’s keep it like this. But when you visited us um, you definitely liked also experienced some of the latest features we were working on that we released since then. For example, like reading um, reading the sign. Um, is is now mapped onto some AI buttons uh we introduced also like the overall scene description or like finding chairs or crosswalks uh, of course like we we are we really try to keep as close as possible to us to a like a small group of of um beta testers and power users who give us feedback before the feature actually reaches markets um, but I’m also curious to just hear your thoughts very openly on where do you want something like this to to evolve like where do you want this to go as a as a you know technology to do what is missing because I think it probably the ideas that you have will also resonate with lots of people. And, of course, like help us like continue to develop the technology.

GUSTAVO CARVAJAL: I have to say that I love this question because maybe you haven’t listened because we we haven’t talked about this idea of the of the short distance athletes also lately with my friends in a natural manner. I have been talking about machine learning but I added human learning. I think that each personal story in our challenge of our daily life, a visually impaired person or a blind person is quite different, but we have to approach this kind of tools from the possibility and open ourselves and our family have a different perception. How are we dealing with the challenges that we face and how are we working imbibe the challenges that we face with our ability to stop other people we we try to talk to our realized better uh toharism and to maintain other people not justconscious people but to have space for our understanding of ended whatever ISS mission whatever it’s my new position or like i said him this earlier he masеб student uh i believe he would be safe to yes i think we will also be a first team where we interact, to be more hands-free. I felt part of the solution. That’s the reason when you invited me here is that it’s a community that has to be together at these kind of events, teach us and our caretakers and families how is the challenge, how is technology and how to address the technology. Maybe into shaping the future, one day I would love to talk to NOA because I talk to many devices at home for many things. That’s the reason when a person who is not trained at home is challenged because there are no switches and they have to speak sometimes in a specific language. In my case, I dream to talk to NOA and say, ‘Okay, NOA, change of direction. I’m not going to go now to the bakery. I need to go to visit my friend.’ And maybe NOA, who’s my friend? And then, and she gave me direction. So, I believe I’m also a person of, like maybe being growing up, I was a science fiction person glued to the television and to the movies, and my career has been in entertainment. So I know how technology has been an issue that has been taught by science fiction; science fiction, which in one moment helps us to understand what is immobile. So also, I would like to see sometimes a person like us, from the community with our challenges and differences, but also the technology showcases in a TV show or something to help others understand that there are other technologies that maybe they don’t imagine or they don’t know they exist, shaping solutions for a specific kind of demographic and communities. So maybe it’s talking to NOA. And in one moment, NOA says, ‘Hi, Gustavo, I’m listening.’

MAËL FABIEN: Yeah, awesome. I love that idea. Now, there are definitely a couple of things that are also in line with some of the things we’re building. So I’m just glad you’re mentioning this. I think we’re reaching probably the end of our discussion. Thank you again, Gustavo, for taking the time. I really appreciate it. And thank you all for listening. And we have Marco who’s present in the United States, and we’re opening up also the US with various distributors around the country, hosting various demo days, because I think the best way to experience this in the first place is probably just to get a demo. And so for that, we have a direct link to testimonial on our website and see all of the upcoming dates. And so the website is called biped. ai, so that’s b-i-p-e-d dot ai. Thank you again, uh, Karae and Ross, uh, and thank you, Gustavo, again.

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