This document summarizes an academic conference presentation on creating a cognitive navigation and object detection system for blind people. The presentation discusses research showing parts of the brain can process sound location to perceive surroundings without sight. It then outlines the CASBLIP and EYE2021 projects, which aim to develop portable technologies translating 3D audio into sounds to help blind users navigate environments. The presentation concludes by speculating on how brain plasticity may allow new ways of "seeing" to develop with further technological advances.