An electrically-powered, body-worn device intended to be used as a mobility aid for a patient with a visual impairment by providing feedback on their local environment using ultrasound-based echolocation. It includes an ultrasound transceiver designed to detect nearby obstacles by echolocation and which communicates this information to the wearer using vibration patterns. It is available as a wearable device (e.g., wristband, spectacle frame attachment) which might additionally include an internal compass and might be designed to interface with the navigation features on a smartphone.