How many times have you walked into a post, tripped over a sidewalk, or smacked into a parked car while texting? We've all done it. Whether or not it's an intelligent thing to do, texting and walking go hand-in-hand these days. But, with texting comes the potential hazard of bumping into things.
Well, a man by the name of Juan-David HincapiГ©-Ramos has thought of an app for that. After watching people walk into solid objects, Ramos decided that it was about time an app preventing people from injuries while texting was invented. Kind of.
The Semi-Invention
Crash-Alert is the invention that Ramos came up with. Essentially, Crash-Alert consists of depth-sensing cameras that detect obstacles and alert texters to upcoming objects. You know, objects like lamp posts or parking meters that might cause a serious trip, fall, or bang. While this sounds like an excellent idea, the Crash-Alert isn't quite ready for market yet.
Right now, the prototype that Ramos has created is really a 7-inch Acer tablet that is linked with a Microsoft Kinect sensor camera -- not exactly a slim solution or a smartphone app solution. The app does work on the Acer tablet, and Ramos did test the prototype with friends (it works well).
However, it is a solution that Ramos is working on, and he hopes that a real app will develop from this invention soon enough. He also expects the app to be integrated into smartphones within the near future. Is Ramos onto something here?
A Solution or A Problem?
Is the app that Ramos built a solution to a problem or merely something that's encouraging a current problem? Right now, the fact that people text while walking isn't a good thing, and it's something that many are trying to work against. If Ramos' app comes to fruition, texting while walking will not only be possible, it will be impossible to run into anything while doing so.
In turn, Ramos is encouraging people to text while walking. But, as Ramos has told press, this problem is not going to go away. It is part of our current society, and it's just something that people are now accustomed to. Why not provide a safer way to do something that people are already doing?
The Future of This App
Ramos' idea is a good one, and it's one that may be needed. It seems important to point out, however, that there are existing Android apps that do roughly the same thing. None of them include a camera setup like the one that Ramos has created, but all of them will stop a texter from walking into an inanimate object like a tree or sign.
What do you think of this invention? Are we already too glued to our phones as it is? Perhaps someone should invent an app that prevents people from texting while walking. Or, maybe, just maybe, Ramos is right. Maybe it's too late, and we just need an app solution to the problem.