Blind people encounter certain specific dangers when walking inside and outside of buildings, including: (i) falling down from one level to a lower level, such as from a train platform and (ii) colliding with obstructions. To assist with these problems, two different types of white cane have recently been designed. In place of the sense of sight, the sense of touch via vibration is used to relay information describing the objects around blind people. Two types of sensors were employed, an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared laser sensor. The ultrasonic sensors are employed to detect both low- and high-level convex obstructions in front of the blind person. The ultrasonic sensor can detect small obstructions, e.g., thin bar (?5mm). To complement this, the infrared laser sensor is used for the detection of concave features (downward steps). The new white canes have a non-contact detection system to find clearly convex and concave obstructions. Moreover, as the systems are designed to be small, lightweight and of a reasonable price, they are highly regarded by blind people.