TouchSight Vision Mitt - created by a group of Cambridge University students - is a clever device to help the blind and visually impaired.

A witty invention created by a group of UK students could improve the lives of many blind and visually impaired people across the world.

The TouchSight Vision Mitt is a clever device created by the TouchSight team – a new startup company set up by engineering students from the University of Cambridge.

Sensors and vibration

The futuristic, glove-based system allows the user to sense their surroundings using ultrasonic feedback actuators.

Not only is the glove considered to be low in cost but also a potential supplement or alternative to guide dogs and white sticks used by millions of visually impaired and blind people.

Pitch your business idea

The TouchSight Vision Mitt was showcased at the recent Varsity Pitch competition where the brightest Oxford and Cambridge University students battled it out in a head-to-head session. Each team was given two minutes to pitch their ideas to a celebrity panel of business experts which was then followed up with a seven-minute interview.

Panel members included Martha Lane Fox, co-founder of Lastminute.com, and Peter Jones, a multi-million pound entrepreneur also known for his regular appearances on the BBC business television show, Dragon's Den.

Real change to the lives of many

Pete Davies from TouchSight said: "We're absolutely delighted to win the Varsity Pitch 2007. It's brilliant that competitions like this are organised by student societies, to enable entrepreneurship and let all these amazing ideas that would not otherwise see the light of day, have exposure and involvement with business and investors in the real world.

"TouchSight will now take the next steps to bring the product to market - we will build more prototypes, protect our intellectual property and work more closely with distribution channels to make this happen. TouchSight will bring real change to the lives of the blind and visually impaired across the world."

Business race to the finish line

The Varsity Pitch is an Oxbridge business idea competition where three winners from the Cambridge University Entrepreneurs (CUE) competition take on three winners from the Oxford Idea Idol competition.

The winning team collects a prize of £5,000 and has the opportunity to enter other international business idea competitions where they can access further funding and exposure for their projects and products.

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