An interventional study of Wearable Echolocation Device in Low Vision, sponsored by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 100 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-24.
Sponsored by The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The objective of this study is to study a novel device designed to aid patients with impaired vision to safely navigate their environment. Subjects for this study will be individuals with normal vision, either with or without correction. The subjects will wear a device to simulate impaired vision and will be asked to walk a path with randomly placed obstacles during two trials. One of the trials will consist of the subject wearing the simulator alone. The other trial will consist of the subject wearing the simulator and the study device. The study device is designed to be worn by the study subject and will emit tones to indicate obstacles in the environment as the subject walks on the path with random obstacles. The tones will indicate that there is an obstacle in the individual's path and will increase in intensity as the subject moves closer to the object.Invest
The objective of this project is to study visually impaired individuals' ability to develop echolocation skills using simple, wearable, echolocation devices that will not be cost prohibitive to most Americans and that would allow for greater availability to the visually impaired community. These echolocation devices emit parametric sound, a directional beam of ultrasound waves that interact with sound waves and surrounding objects, through goggles, watches, lanyards or even walking canes. This allows the visually impaired individual to detect sound waves as they reflect off their surroundings and return to the patient's ears in unique patterns resembling their external environment. This device would enable individuals to create a raw mental image of their surroundings and any obstacles along their path.
The primary endpoint for this pilot study is to assess the feasibility of such echolocation devices as an adaptive low vision navigation aid on healthy subjects using low vision simulation goggles. Several metrics will be observed and recorded to measure how well echolocation technology addresses challenges associated with visual impairment and downstream factors. These metrics will include gait initiation, termination analysis via the Zeno-Walkway system, electromyography (EMG) of key muscles involved in gait termination, participant preference of echolocation wearable device modularity, and general survey questions.
The secondary study endpoint is to implement the use of echolocation technology among members of the blind or visually impaired population as a clinical aid and study the impact that this technology has on their quality of life and added downstream health implications longitudinally.
A final objective of this study is to seek feedback, not only on the use of any echolocation device to navigate but, to obtain feedback on subjects' experience with the specific study device, the Wearable Echolocation Device.
98 studies on the registry are indexed under Vision, Low; 23 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 25 is below the median of 60 across 78 interventional studies indexed under Vision, Low.
Browse Vision, Low studies →The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston is the lead sponsor of 257 studies on the registry; 38 are open to participants now.
Of its 32 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 26 (81%) have results posted.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Investigational drug or device
A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.
It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The participant will be wearing a low-vision simulator and navigating a pathway randomly populated with obstacles. They will then perform the same trial, wearing the low vision simulator, navigating the same pathway with obstacles randomly rearranged; however, the participants will use the Wearable Echolocation Device to assist with navigation.
The participants will be wearing the low-vision simulator and the wearable echolocation Device for the first test to assist with navigating the pathway randomly populated with obstacles. The participant will then perform the same test, wearing the low-vision simulator without the Wearable Echolocation Device, navigating the same pathway with randomly rearranged obstacles.
Device: Wearable Echolocation Device
The device features many parametric speakers housed in a plastic case. The parametric speakers emit directional sound waves that return to the source with varying wavelengths depending on the distance of the surrounding objects. The device is designed to be worn by the subject either using a lanyard on the subject's neck, or on the subject's wrist.
Change in Stride Length for Visually Impaired Individuals with Implementation of Echolocation Technology
Stride length will be measured using the Zeno Walkway system, an electronic, pressure-sensitive mat connected to a PC that automates the measurement of spatial and temporal aspects of gait. The walkway's high-resolution sensors capture real-time data as participants walk across it. Each participant will walk on the instrumented mat for approximately 30 minutes, allowing for detailed analysis of stride length. Mean stride length (in meters) will be calculated from multiple trials to assess changes following implementation of echolocation technology.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-training) and immediately post-training (same 30 minute session)
Change in Cadence for Visually Impaired Individuals with Implementation of Echolocation Technology
Cadence (steps per minute) will be assessed using the Zeno Walkway system, an electronic, pressure-sensitive mat that captures real-time gait data. Participants will walk across the instrumented walkway for approximately 30 minutes. The system will automatically record and calculate the average number of steps per minute to evaluate changes in cadence following implementation of echolocation technology.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-training) and immediately post-training (same 30 minute session)
Change in Walking Velocity for Visually Impaired Individuals with Implementation of Echolocation Technology
Walking velocity will be measured using the Zeno Walkway system, an electronic, pressure-sensitive mat that captures spatial and temporal aspects of gait. Participants will walk across the walkway for approximately 30 minutes. The system will automatically calculate average walking velocity (in meters per second) based on distance and time. This outcome will be used to evaluate improvements in gait speed following implementation of echolocation technology.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-training) and immediately post-training (same 30 minute session)
Change in Body Mass Index (BMI) for Visually Impaired Individuals with Implementation of Echolocation Technology
Body Mass Index (BMI) will be calculated using standard anthropometric measures of height and weight (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared). Measurements will be taken at each study visit to assess any change in BMI that may occur following implementation of echolocation technology.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-training) and immediately post-training (same 30 minute session)
Participant-Reported Experience with Echolocation Device
Participants will complete the "Wearable Echolocation Aids Using Parametric Sound: Post-Trials Survey" to evaluate their experience using the echolocation device during the study.
Time frame: Day 1
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston →