Red Nought Wins Innovate UK Grant for Virtual Guide Dog Solution

HUGE NEWS!! 

Red Nought Wins Innovate UK DCMS Create Growth Programme Grant to Develop Groundbreaking “Virtual Guide Dog Solution”. 

Red Nought, the inclusive technology studio behind the pioneering Baldr Engine, a no-code games development platform, has been awarded a prestigious Innovate UK grant to create a Virtual Guide Dog Solution. This is an augmented reality (AR) navigation solution designed to transform independence for blind and visually impaired people. 

Powered by the modular architecture of Baldr Engine, the solution adopts the same “LEGO-style” approach that lets creators plug together components to rapidly build commercial-quality games - now repurposed to deliver next-generation assistive navigation. 

“This project embodies our mission: accessibility as barrier removal. With the Innovate UK grant, we can apply our modular technology to give blind and visually impaired people a powerful and affordable navigation tool that adapts to them - not the other way around,” said John Thornewill, CEO of Red Nought. 

Red Nought is collaborating on the project with Freya Shaw, creator of the Hodr Engine - an innovative blind-accessible games development editor. “Hodr is built so blind creators can design and iterate at speed. By pairing Hodr’s accessible editor with Baldr Engine’s modular runtime, we can prototype and deploy AR navigation experiences that respond to the world in real time - no expensive pre-mapping, no waiting around,” said Freya Shaw, Creator of the Hodr Engine. 

The Virtual Guide Dog will support personal navigation and venue-level integrations, helping venues create inclusive environments at a fraction of current accessibility costs. 

Red Nought is a UK-based technology company dedicated to inclusive design and innovation. Its flagship product, the Baldr Engine, is a groundbreaking no-code development platform that empowers anyone - regardless of programming experience or disability - to create and publish games by assembling modular components like building blocks. 

The Hodr Engine is a blind-accessible editor created by Freya Shaw. Designed for screen-reader workflows and low-vision use, it integrates with Red Nought’s Baldr Engine to enable rapid and accessible creation of interactive experiences - including AR-powered navigation. 

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is creating a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. We provide targeted sectors with expertise, facilities and funding to test, demonstrate and evolve their ideas, driving UK productivity and economic growth. Join our network and communities of innovators to realise the potential of your ideas and accelerate business growth. 

If you want to know more about our ground-breaking accessible technology get in contact

Contact Us

John Thornewill

27th October 2025