Editor's note: China has designated the third Sunday of each May as a national day for assisting disabled persons, which falls on May 19 this year. Let's take a look at how new technologies are improving the lives of people with disabilities.

A visitor experiences the robot guide dog "Xiaoxi" in Hangzhou Asian Para Games, in East China's Zhejiang province, October 26, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Robot guide dogs

There are currently about 400 trained guide dogs for the country's 17.31 million blind or visually impaired people, according to the data from the China Association for the Blind.

While the training of a guide dog usually requires significant time and expense, advancements in transducer and artificial intelligence technology have led to the development of robot guide dogs. These innovative devices are capable of accurately identifying road conditions, obstacles, and surrounding facilities.

Additionally, they offer features such as map construction and user perception. Through voice prompts and vibration feedback, robot guide dogs provide real-time navigation services for the visually impaired, enabling them to safely navigate city streets while also addressing their indoor navigation requirements.