The automaker is developing a wearable device that can take in the user's surroundings and relay information to them via audio and vibration cues.

Being developed through Toyota's Project Blaid, the device looks a like a slightly deformed toilet seat and is designed to be worn around the neck. Rather than replacing existing aids, such as canes, guide dogs and basic GPS devices, the Blaid device is intended to complement them by giving users more information about their surrounding environment.

Unlike the prototype headset from Microsoft we looked at a couple of years ago, which relied on GPS, annotated maps and a network of wireless beacons, Toyota's device uses inbuilt cameras to detect its surroundings and "recognize" common indoor features, such as restrooms, signs, escalators, stairs and doors. Users can request the location of specific features by buttons or voice control, with the information communicated to the wearer via audio cues or vibrations.