Design and implementation of a blind stick integrated with sensors and audio assistance for visually impaired people

Abstract

Visually impaired individuals find it more challenging to move independently because of their compromised vision. Moreover, it is necessary to navigate in a given setting, along with their ability to organize their daily activities are vital to their health and wellbeing. The blind stick project aims to develop a lightweight, cost-effective, and easy-to-use device that utilizes ultrasonic and infrared sensors to detect obstacles above and below ground level and provide audio feedback to aid visually impaired users in navigating independently and safely. The encouraging news is that the rapid advancement in technology has seen the innovation of better systems for assisting the disabled, including the blind stick which can provide intelligent navigation capabilities to the visually impaired people. This paper reviews the design of a blind stick for the visually impaired people, equipped with obstacle recognition and giving feedback to the user by voice will add more virtual visibility in their journey. It shows that such a stick can be a significant boon to the visually impaired people.