Where Vision Meets Radar
Founded in 2020 by a team of industry veterans in optical and eyewear, Lighthouse Tech developed TAMI®, a smart eyewear frame designed to improve the safety and mobility of individuals who are blind or visually impaired (BVI). Equipped with advanced front-facing radar sensors, TAMI® scans the surroundings and notifies users of obstacles above the waist in areas not covered by a traditional white cane.
While the white cane is the most effective tool for detecting obstacles on the ground or at low levels, it falls short in protecting BVI people from collisions with obstacles in the highly vulnerable upper-body zone. Hazards such as open windows, low-hanging tree branches, or the rear end of a truck pose significant risks to their safety. Like everyone, BVI want technology that blends into their lives. Aesthetic, weight, and comfort are not “add-ons”, they are preconditions for daily use. This is why TAMI is so disruptive. It provides a scalable mainstream platform where adoption is driven by aesthetics as much as function.
TAMI fills this gap by delivering:
- True eyewear integration: A sleek and fashionable eyewear frame of optical quality aligned with
consumer eyewear industry standards weighing only 55g. - Embedded obstacle detection: Standalone, without reliance on cloud or external devices. TAMI® is also crafted with style in mind, available in three models each offered in three trendy colors. This challenges the stigma often associated with assistive devices, which are typically seen as bulky or unattractive. TAMI® combines discreet elegance with functionality, making it a fashionable accessory. Crucially, corrective lenses can be mounted, meeting the highest optical quality standards.
User interaction is supported by tactile hardware buttons and capacitive gesture sensors, enabling configuration without reliance on external devices. For advanced parameter control, TAMI® connects via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to a companion smartphone application, providing access to settings such as haptic intensity modulation, range detection profiles, and firmware updates.
Function-Packed Glasses
The sensing module provides a horizontal field of view of up to 170° and a vertical field of view of approximately 100°, enabling wide-area spatial monitoring to support safer navigation.
Haptic output is delivered via a proprietary actuator embedded in the temple endpiece. The component is ergonomically engineered to minimize acoustic interference, preserving auditory situational awareness, which is critical for users with visual impairments.
Power is supplied by an embedded lithium-polymer rechargeable cell, supporting 5–6 hours of nominal operation. Full charging is achieved in <2 hours via a USB-C interface. The structural design employs titanium-reinforced polymer temples, achieving impact resistance and IP55 Ingress Protection, ensuring operational reliability under dust and water exposure. The total device mass remains ~55 g, optimizing comfort for extended wear.
Superior optics with radar
Lighthouse went with Acconeer because they offer a very advanced radar for its size but other sensors where also considered, such as LiDAR and ultrasonic sensors. However, the radar integrates very well into the glasses and isn’t visible from the outside.
TAMI® is an electronic eyewear frame integrating front-facing A121 radar sensors for continuous environmental scanning. The system detects potential obstacles within the user’s path and communicates alerts through low-latency haptic feedback. Object localization is lateralized: a vibration on the left temple indicates an obstacle on the left, a vibration on the right temple indicates an obstacle on the right, and simultaneous bilateral vibration signals an obstacle directly ahead. Vibration amplitude is modulated as a function of object distance, with higher intensity corresponding to closer proximity.
About Lighthouse
Lighthouse Tech is a Swiss startup, founded as an optical industry spinoff. The mission is to create a more inclusive world where people who are blind or have low vision can move confidently, make their own choices, and live life to the fullest. Lighthouse believes that technology should be intuitive, stylish, and supportive, just like TAMI, the assistive mobility eyewear designed to help navigate life with freedom and safety.