Design And Development Of Wearable Technology Using Ultrasonic Waves For Visually Impaired People

Abstract

The rise rapid increase in the number of visually impaired people globally has led to the development of devices that can assist them to walk in a more feasible and reliable manner. There are numerous frameworks available in this field of research, viz., that are both reliable and efficient, but expensive, which not many can afford. In this paper, a device that is simple, easy-to-use, wearable technology working on ultrasonic waves, is presented. The person in subject needs to wear this device on the hand and begin to walk. The surrounding environment is provided to the visually impaired by the device-on-hand through audio, vibration or both. This device gathers information from the surroundings, recognizes the obstacle upon calculating its distance from user using the velocity of the obstacle. The obstacle might be stationary or in motion. The obstacles encountered in the pathway can then be audible to the person in the form of alarm ring and/or vibration produced in the device. The objective of this paper is to develop a reliable, feasible and efficient device to help the visually impaired navigate with greater comfort, speed and confidence.