Project: C.O.D.I

Cody is a fearless and sensitive 7-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare disease that is slowly robbing him of hearing and sight. The Not Impossible Labs team committed to finding a way for Cody to navigate the world.

Cody has no peripheral vision, is on the verge of profound deafness, and will eventually lose all of his sight and hearing. The Not Impossible Labs team has developed a wearable device, adapted from Music: Not Impossible technology and built into a superhero costume, to help Cody navigate the world while feeling like the superhero he is. The cape has built-in range-finding technology, which was adapted from MNI's existing vibrotactile hardware.

The Absurdity

Cody is a fearless and sensitive 7-year-old boy diagnosed with a Peroxisome Biogenesis Disorder (PBD). PBD is a degenerative disorder that results in the loss of hearing and sight. Children with PBD seldom live past the age of 10. There are only about 500 known cases in the US and no known cure.

The Goal

To create technology that allows Cody to play freely in unfamiliar environments despite his limited vision and hearing.

The Solution

COMPUTERIZED OBSTACLE DETECTION INTERFACE

The C.O.D.I. device is a glove outfitted with vibrating actuators and a spatial detection system. The glove allows Cody to sense where he is in space simply by holding out his hand. When he gets close to an obstacle the glove vibrates, and as he gets closer the intensity increases.

Superhero Powers

Project C.O.D.I. was built into a superhero costume so Cody could feel empowered by the technology as an additional sense.

What Cody can see now is like if you had a straw and you looked through the straw... He would just see that little field of vision.”

– Shannon, Cody's mother

Project C.O.D.I