Observed arrival · 2026-09-27
Beluga turns sidewalk warnings into a city to-do list
Beluga is a research prototype for blind and low-vision pedestrians that pairs directional obstacle sounds with an optional city map of persistent hazards.
○Open
⊠Login
$Paid
†Ads
✦Pretty
●Pro
◎Niche
◉Human
⚑Risk
ƒJS
- For
- Blind and low-vision pedestrians using a cane or guide dog
- Worth noticing
- Depth checks run on the phone ten times a second; reports are rounded to about 100 metres and ranked around Ottawa’s O-Train stations.
Field notes
The described setup uses a chest-mounted phone, with Chrome WebXR and ARCore measuring a narrow corridor ahead. A separate, user-initiated question sends one camera frame to an agent; the page says the conversation is deleted after the reply. City reports are opt-in and stored with locations rounded to about 100 metres, then ranked around Ottawa’s O-Train stations.
Observed signals
Read the marks
Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.
○OpenPublic substance visible
⊠LoginAccess appeared gated
✦PrettyNotable craft visible
●ProPolished or operationally mature
◎NicheUnusually specific use
◉HumanPersonal, local, civic, or handmade
ƒJavaScriptBrowser-side code central
One card from the complete issue