Active
Mata
Mata is an assistive navigation device that turns the space in front of a person into clear, spoken guidance: what is there, and how far away it is. It is built to work without a smartphone, GPS or an internet connection.
Mata is in active development. Figures on this page reflect published research and the current state of the prototype, not clinical or user-validated outcomes.
How it works
Mata combines computer vision and precision distance sensing to detect obstacles and provide real-time audio guidance, supporting independent movement through everyday environments. The name means “eye” in Tagalog.
- 1. Sense
- Camera Computer vision recognises what is ahead.
- LiDAR Precision sensing measures how far away it is.
- 2. ProcessOn the deviceNo phone, GPS or signal is required.
- 3. SpeakAudio guidanceWhat is ahead, and how far away it is.
The problem
More than two million people in the UK live with sight loss, and over a million of them have irreversible sight loss from conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic eye disease. As the population ages, that number is set to grow substantially. For most, getting around safely and independently is the real challenge.
Navigation aids, smartphone apps and dedicated devices alike, tend to share the same weak points: high cost, dependence on a strong GPS or data signal, fiddly interfaces and unreliable performance outdoors. Those weak points fall hardest on older users and people on lower incomes, who are the groups most likely to be affected by sight loss in the first place.
Over 2 million
people in the UK live with sight loss: roughly 3 in every 100 of the population. Over one million of them have irreversible sight loss.
- Irreversible sight loss, about 1.4% of the UK population
- All sight loss, about 2.9%
- UK population, 69.3 million
Proportions are approximate. RNIB does not state a reference year, so they are compared with the ONS mid-2024 UK population estimate.RNIB, key statistics on sight loss in the UK;ONS, population estimates mid-2024.
1 in 5
people will live with sight loss at some point in their lifetime.
- Live with sight loss in their lifetime, 1 in 5
- Everyone else, 4 in 5
£28bn
is the estimated yearly cost of sight loss and blindness to the UK economy.
Cost and complexity are among the biggest barriers to adopting assistive technology, alongside age.RNIB, sight loss and technology
Our mission
We want to make confident, independent navigation available at a cost and reliability level that institutions such as the NHS and local authorities can provide at scale, not only to individuals who can pay for it.
Approach
- Reliable
- Distance to obstacles comes from dedicated LiDAR sensing rather than camera estimation alone, so readings hold up in poor light, glare and reflective surfaces.
- Autonomous
- Mata runs entirely on the device. No phone pairing, no GPS lock and no signal are required, so it keeps working underground, in a stairwell, or anywhere connectivity cannot be guaranteed.
- Simple
- The audio output says two things: what is ahead, and how far away it is. Nothing else competes for a user’s attention while they are trying to walk safely.
- Affordable
- Mata is built on accessible, widely available hardware components, keeping unit cost low enough for institutional procurement at scale rather than premium individual retail.
Current status
- Working in softwareDetection and audio pipelineThe core detection and audio components work in software.
- Current focusA single wearable unitBringing those components together into one wearable device.
- NextReal-world testingTesting with visually impaired participants.
The core detection and audio pipeline works in software. The current focus is bringing those components together into a single wearable unit, ahead of real-world testing with visually impaired participants.
Get involved
If you work in assistive technology, sensory impairment services or NHS procurement, or if you are a researcher, funder or potential user testing partner, we would like to hear from you.