Miller’s background is in computer science and engineering, and in his 30s, he completed an MBA at London Business School and went into the business side of technology. At his time in London, Miller joined The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association as a board member. “I really started to understand the challenges around technology, navigation, mobility, and independence for blind people beyond my own experience,” Miller explained. “That led to a question we wanted to explore: how is technology going to change the landscape of independent mobility for the blind?”

Miller himself is blind, having retinitis pigmentosa, one of the leading causes of blindness, which makes the cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss. “I lost most of my sight in my early 20s, while I was studying computer science. I started university being able to read textbooks and walk around campus on my own, and finished with a guide dog and a whole bunch of accessibility technologies to be able to finish.”

Glidance

A big takeaway from my conversation with Miller was the lack of accessibility to current navigational tools. Whilst free for blind and low vision people, the average cost of a guide dog, including all training and other expenses, is around £50,000, and the waitlist is around five years. The other option is the traditional white cane, however these can take years of practice before users are confident in using them independently. These hurdles mean these navigation tools aren’t as accessible as most assume they are.

“It turns out that 2% of blind people actually use a cane or guide dog, and this is really a factor of time, money, and resources,” Miller explained. “This leads to people being dependent on family, staggering levels of unemployment, and isolation and depression amongst the blind and low-vision community.”

This lack of accessibility drove Miller to start Glidance, and develop its flagship product, Glide. Miller asked himself: “What if we were able to harness the latest in AI and robotics to bring about a new kind of mobility? A primary mobility aid that is much easier to use, quicker to learn, and also affordable. And that was the origin of what Glide has become.

“Our mission at Glidance is that anyone with blindness can get out of their home without hesitation.”

Glide

Glide is the startup’s robot AI-powered mobility aid, deigned to help people who are blind or have low vision navigate with confidence, comfort, and ease. Glide consists of a long handle with two wheels. Users “nudge the device forward with the handle, held at around waist- level. It’s a bit like the placement of the handle of a guide dog,” Miller described.

The user determines the speed, and it glides and physically steers, so doesn’t pull the user. “You wheel it forward, but as you start to walk, the wheels physically steer. If you need to turn a little bit to the left to get around an obstacle, the wheels will steer a little bit to the left. All you do is follow where the device is going. It's completely intuitive, and takes literally 30 seconds for somebody to get the hang of it and start walking with it.”

The device also has the capability of communicating with the user, describing relevant details within the environment, and having surroundings described with active scene description to inform the user about why it’s doing what it’s doing.

Glidance’s Sensible Wayfinding Service is a high-intensity computer vision AI system which connects all active Glides, and powers their ability to understand complex spaces and guide users through them. It uses real-time data from an array of advanced sensors to map the best routes, identify targets of interest, and avoid obstacles to get users safely to their destination.

Inspiration

Miller was always aware that there needed to be a better option, but the true eureka moment came from his airport experiences.

“When I get to the airport, I need to sit around the check-in area, and wait for an assistant to come and find me and guide me to my gate. I have had lots of time to think and get p*ssed off. We have rovers on Mars, we have autonomous vehicles, so why am I sitting here and I can’t just walk to my gate?”

This led to the idea of Glide. To navigate someone in a complex environment like an airport, a simple app is unable communicate how to navigate in a precise way, especially with a complex building layout and so many people moving around.

“That's when I realised that what you actually need is something that is physically connected to the ground, that is a separate frame of reference, which physically guides you.”

Miller partnered with a mechanical engineer friend, and created a rudimentary product, which was essentially a remote-controlled car with a stick on top. “I said let’s try this and see if this idea even holds water, and the rest is history.”

The hurdles on the journey

Working on an innovation that is so close to the founder’s heart and has the ability to change the lives of many comes with its own challenges.

“The road of assistive technologies is paved with wrecks, and there is enormous scepticism in the blind and low vision space about new technologies that come with promises,” Miller explained.

“Even though I’m blind, I know that I’m only one opinion when it comes to the product. So, the question was, how do we go about this in a way that the community will embrace this future? And the only answer is to build the product out in the open, and get people involved.”

This has meant that Glide has been built with the input of the blind and low vision community, through feedback sessions, Zoom meetings, and demo days, where users were able to test Glide and ensure it met their needs.

Working in this space, Miller knows the demand. However, there has been uncertainty. “It comes down to educating the investment community about the need, about the problem space, and about the opportunity.

“We’ve been successful in fundraising, but the response from investors has been ‘love what you're doing, but it’s a market I know nothing about. I don't know how this is going to scale. Is this a big enough market?’”

Yet, Miller and his team are dedicated to the product that they’re building. “We are not just building a product. We're changing the way that this industry is going to work.

“Our biggest problem over the next five years is to supply enough devices, not to find users or customers.”

The highlights

On the flip side, working on a life-changing innovation has many highlights. “I would say that the biggest highlight is by far the excitement and the hope that we are bringing to the blind community.

“On the hardest days, all I have to do is take a step back and remind myself what we're doing and what people are telling us to completely rebuild my energy and motivation.”

Surrounding himself with others that believe in the innovation and mission is also a strong highlight. The team includes ex-employees of iRobot, Amazon, and people with a strong career history in robotics. “[These are] people who have disrupted industries, and they’ve seen what we’re doing here and come on board. It’s my first startup, so that's an experience on its own, and it’s been an amazing journey.”

Gliding to the future

Glidance’s focus for 2025 is getting Glide into the hands of customers.

“Our current timelines show we can begin shipping at the end of 2025. We have almost 1,000 pre-orders from people who are so excited, and we'll be working closely with them make sure that Glide is super successful.”

The startup is also looking at expanding its reach across the world, as well as looking to partner with organisations who want to make their spaces more accessible.

For Glidance, the future is bright, and what makes it brighter, is knowing that Glide will enable anyone with blindness to get out of their home without hesitation.

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Startups Magazine. Click here to subscribe