Our project idea is essentially a walking stick for the blind that gives the user haptic feedback about their surroundings. It would do this by detecting surroundings within a 20-feet range using an ultrasound sensor that is planted halfway up the walking stick. The sensor would be attached to an interfacing microprocessor that communicates with a vibrator. The vibrator would motion at a frequency dependent upon the relative distance of objects.
There are some competing technologies that incorporate some form of this functionality (see below). However, we are adding the wrinkle that our device would be able to interpret the speed of surrounding objects. This would be useful for situations in which the user needs to be aware of moving objects, such as when they are trying to cross a busy street. At a cross walk, the user could point the stick both left and right to see if there are moving cars on the street within a 20-foot range. This could be accomplished by notifying the user with specific objects moving at a speed greater than a certain threshold. This gives the user the same advantage as people who have vision and look both ways before crossing.
Devices that we would need would be the following:
- Walking stick
- Cell phone vibrators
- Ultrasound transceiver
- Microprocessor
Competing Technology
- Retinal implants
- http://www.midwestlens.com/blogger/2010/11/new-advance-in-medical-technology-enables-blind-people-to-see-shapes-and-objects/
- Walking stick
- Kuchenbecker’s lab (publication pending)
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