Wearable Assistive Device for the Visually Impaired

The white cane is a navigational tool used to probe the user’s surroundings and offers independence by increasing mobility for those who are visually impaired. Although it was first developed over 90 years ago, it is currently the most widely used assistive device for the visually impaired. While experimental devices have been developed more recently, neither they nor the white cane can currently address the dangers of road traffic to individuals crossing the street and are incapable of locating vehicles, road signs, or other distant obstacles. Our wearable device uses an object recognition algorithm to identify a number of common roadside hazards to the visually impaired, and can be worn over the user’s normal clothes. It is designed to allow the user to navigate across intersections and crosswalks by identifying information such as stop signs and street lights, then relaying these details to the user so they may judge when it is safe to proceed. By providing information to the user with haptic feedback via piezoelectric elements, the user may make more informed judgements around dangerous areas, opening new opportunities and promoting safety with hazards related to road traffic.