Audible Puck

Societal innovation, Signal & data processing, Electrical & electronic components, Science & engineering

UNMET NEED

To improve their inclusion, multiple organisms have the mission to encourage visually impaired and blind people to
participate in sport activities at all levels, from grassroots to the Paralympic Games.
Some sports have been exclusively conceived for blind people (ex: goalball) been adapted via sound balls.

Current blind hockey pucks consist of tomato cans and large hockey plastic pock with bearing. These devices are deformable, poorly identified on ice by blind hockey players and are not standard.

TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

An electronic audible puck has been developed by a research team from UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal).

  • This innovative process is based on magnetic and kinetic mechanisms
  • The system gives visually impaired/blind players all the information to be aware of the position and the trajectory of the sport material
  • Mobile application for sound modulation
  • Wireless communication for collection of statistic data relative to the game
  • A proof-of-concept of the audible system has been demonstrated for hockey puck
  • Innovative protective case
  • Light, robust, and resistant to very high impact forces, humidity, and freezing conditions
  • Localization of the puck even stationary or in the air
  • Energy efficient and rechargeable
  • Controllable remotely

 

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

  • Resistant to very high impact forces, humidity, and freezing conditions
  • Make consensus among teams in North America
  • Localization of the puck even stationary or in the air

 

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

  • Seeking investment
  • Seeking for research partnering
  • Eligibility to government financing for industry/academic maturation program

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

  • US Provisional patent

CONTACTS

Pr Steve Vezeau

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Professor, school of design
UQAM

Pr Mounir Boukadoum

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Professor, department of electrical engineering
UQAM

Sébastien Prince-Richard

CONTACT PERSON
Project Director, Business Development
Axelys
sebastien.prince-richard@axelys.ca