Run Sight (Indonesia) | AI running guide for visually impaired runners

It is a well-known fact that physical activity is one of the best ways to stay healthy. There are also mental health benefits, particularly in the context of organized team sports or social exercise, such as running groups. These types of activities incorporate social bonding into physical activity, but unfortunately, for those who are physically unable to participate in physical activities, these benefits remain out of reach. LABMINO, a group of students from Universitas Indonesia in Jakarta, noticed that visually impaired people want to stay active but that they face safety barriers that force them to depend on guide runners. And they decided to change that.

With Anthony Edbert Feriyanto, Kaindra Rizq Sachio, Muhammed Fazil Tirtana, and Ariq Maulana Malki Ibrahim on the team, LABMINO saw the add-on issues that come about as a result of not being able to participate in physical activities in the way that able-bodied people are, lower physical activity, higher health risks, and social isolation. Identifying these issues led to the team developing Run Sight, a virtual guide runner for blind and low vision runners. The project has since earned the team an appointment as Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Ambassadors for its ability to turn running from a high-risk, guide-dependent activity into a repeatable and enjoyable routine for visually impaired people.

A Project Steeped in Safety and Inclusion

The LABMINO team says the project started from their research on sports inclusion for people with visual impairments and from direct conversations with visually impaired runners. Their friend, who has cataract blindness and enjoys jogging but struggles to stay in his lane without assistance, also served as inspiration. The team quickly learned that safe, independent running is hard to access.

LABMINO’s solution, Run Sight, uses smart glasses with an RGB¹ camera and on-device AI to detect track lanes and obstacles in real time. Once it detects any deviation from lanes or hazards, it provides clear voice guidance to allow the runner to stay centered. Perhaps the best part of Run Sight is that it does not require internet access or any extra infrastructure, which allows it to remain accessible.

Of course, the project has not come without challenges. The main obstacle has been making the system reliable in real-world conditions, which can vary so wildly. Even on tracks, there are differences to account for, such as lighting changes, faded lane markings, the appearance of crowds, and shifts in the camera view that occur during running. Fast, intuitive, and easy-to-process audio cues are a technical challenge, as well, as is integration, because the wearable needs to be comfortable, lightweight, and have enough battery life for practical use.

From Concept to Reality

Before Run Sight could be fully realized as a tangible project, it had only been a concept that LABMINO had been working on. Through the Solve for Tomorrow program, however, the team was able to move the project from concept to reality, pushing them to validate the problem through research and interviews, structure their implementation plan, and think seriously about impact, sustainability, risks, and partnerships. The team also learned how to articulate their idea more clearly and make design decisions that stayed grounded in user needs and real-world constraints.

The Importance of Partnerships in Bringing RunSight to Life

The next step for LABMINO is to bring RunSight into the real world. To do this, they plan to collect better feedback and training data by expanding testing to more users and more track environments, as well as continue to improve the AI pipeline. Metrics to work on include lane detection, obstacle detection, and distance estimation. LABMINO also plans to refine voice guidance to improve intuitiveness and safety. Collaborations with inclusive schools, disability sports clubs, rehabilitation centers, and organizations associated with the Paralympics will play a key role in the team’s ambitions for expansion, as they will enable a strong evidence base and training materials for wider adoption.

LABMINO recognizes that many students like them may also have ambitions to help their communities through innovation, and for those students, the team offers words of advice grounded in empathy and responsible scientific processes.

“Start with real people and real problems. Spend time listening before building. Prototype early, test often, and improve through small, consistent iterations. Choose technologies that are practical, affordable, and scalable in the real world,” they say. “And work as a team. The biggest impact usually comes from collaboration, persistence, and a strong commitment to learning from users.”

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Ambassadors will be officially appointed at a ceremony held in Milan on Feb. 10-11, in conjunction with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Find out more about Solve for Tomorrow at [link].

¹ Red, green, blue.