A “sighted” wheelchair has been taken on a successful first test drive by a PhD-student who is visually impaired. The electric wheelchair is steered with a joystick and has a “haptic robot” that works like a virtual white cane. A laser scanner helps to create a simplified 3D map of the wheelchair surroundings. The laser scanner uses a technique called “Time-of-flight.” After the 3D map is produced, it transfers back to the haptic robot. This allows a wheelchair user with a visual impairment to “feel or see” obstacles like oncoming people or open doors, and navigate past them.