The Mini Guide and Ultra Cane

Wednesday May 10th - Today we worked with the Mini Guide and the Ultra Cane, beginning with indoor use to get familiar with them then moving to our blindfold routes with them.
The Mini guide is a device which uses ultrasonic echo-location to detect objects within a maximum distance of four meters and a minimum of .5 meters. It is about the size of a box of matches with two small round sensors at the front. There are two versions: One gives audible feedback using a combination of tones to help judge the distance between objects. The second type uses vibrations. The closer you get to an object the faster the vibrations pulse. These two versions can allow a person who is blind to (with practice) confidently judge the distance between their surroundings and the aid. It is intended for use in conjunction with a white cane.
The Ultra Cane uses similar technology but is combined with the long cane. It is a long cane with a bulky handle and built into the handle are the sensors which house the echo-location feature.
In the very brief time that I used them I found the Ultra cane a bit bulky for me but the mini guide seemed like it would be a very useful piece of equipment to use in conjunction with a cane. It would definitely take some practice to use it most efficiently.