Over Coffee® is on Memorial Day weekend hiatus. Please enjoy this reposting of one of our top interviews of early 2025!

“How do we get everyone who’s blind, out and about?”

That’s the question which Glidance Founder and CEO Amos Miller originally asked himself.

As an engineer and inventor, he came up with a game-changing answer.

Meet Glide, the world’s first intelligent guide for the low-vision community.

“Just to describe it for people, (Glide is) a two-wheeled robot,” Amos explains.

But there’s an important difference.

Technology with a difference

Technically, Glide is an autonomous device with two wheels and a handle, somewhat reminiscent of a small lawn mower. A user, Amos explains, activates the device by setting it down in front of them and nudging it forward. Then, using sensors and artificial intelligence, Glide navigates a safe path for that person to travel.

However, while Glide is responsive to its environment, the user remains in control, at all times.

“We want to keep all the agency in the hands of the user,” Amos says, explaining that Glide’s wheels are not motorized: the device depends on user input, such as releasing the brakes, to operate.

A device–and a community

Glidance is scheduled to ship their first pre-ordered Glide devices in Fall, 2025.

Meanwhile, although their preorder program is currently closed, a waitlist is available,

And Amos’s commitment to empowering the low-vision community goes far beyond simply selling a product.

Glide was developed and revised in accordance with feedback from early prototype users. Amos says almost 7,000 blind people have tested Glide’s early prototypes, so far.

“(Getting their thoughts and concerns) is really how we’ve been doing it, and plan to continue doing it,” he explains.

Accolades and events

He and his team have, so far, hosted over 20 “Glide Demo Days”, according to Glidance’s website. These have taken place in cities including London, San Francisco, Nashville and Washington, D.C.

From now through the launch date, they have plans to “hit the road” (and fire up Zoom!) for addition virtual and in-person demo sessions.

Meanwhile, they’re building a community of users, called “Gliders”, who receive news updates through Glidance’s website, as well as exclusive invitations to upcoming Demo Days and events. (And if you’d like to know more, you’re invited to register for the Glide Community.)

(Of note: since our January 2025 conversation, Glide has garnered yet another award! In March they won South by Southwest’s 2025 Pitch Competition, taking the top prize in the HealthTech, MedTech, BioTech & Accessibility Category. Congratulations to Amos and his team!)

In this January, 2025 conversation, Amos talked about his creative journey, shared the story of Glide and offered a preview of what’s next!

On this edition of Over Coffee® we cover:

• How Amos first became inspired to make world-changing ideas a reality;

• A look at the innovation that was a precursor to Glide;

• The creative process, for Amos and his team, as they designed Glide;

• A defining experience they had, while testing an early prototype;

• An imaginary “walk” with Glide, and how it works;

• How the device deals with obstacles and the unexpected;

• How Amos envisions expanding Glide’s capabilities in the future;

• More information about the upcoming Demo Days and “road show” scheduled for later this year;

• Details of Glide’s “soft launch”;

• How the subscription payments, for the device, reflect Glidance’s focus on community.