Remote guide for guiding the visually impaired

The blind sportsmen have recorded significant improvements in their performances since their first participation in the Paralympics Games in Toronto 1976. In athletics, mainly running, they have to be guided by other athletes who have to follow them closely, especially in a competitive run, where the distance between them cannot exceed 50 cm, that is, between the visually impaired and their guide athlete. Although many guides are provided with an excellent preparation, the gradual growth of the blind athletes´ performance will lead us to a new problem, which will have to be solved. Who will lead the blind athletes without limiting them? Thinking about offering another possibility that allows the visually impaired athlete to move freely in sports activities, this study aimed to develop the Remote Guide. The Remote Guide is an equipment which uses the principles of model airplane, which is coupled to a headset and put in contact with the surface skin, guides the individual through tactile and auditory signals to the directions left, right and also allow them to stop. For checking the coefficient of validity and objectivity of the Remote Guide, there was a correlation of Person. For this test was used the 30 meters dash. Six men, disabled athletes in the Paralympics level, visually impaired, accompanied by their guide athletes have performed this distance. Concerning the results, there weren´t statistically significant differences between the averages results from the Remote Guide and the data collected by disabled athletes and their guides. The validity of the device has showed a correlation of r = 0.9361. By this way, the Remote Guide has an excellent reliability coefficient, which can be used for giving support to unleash the disabled athletes´ performance.