Due to the absence of visual perception, blind people are faced with great difficulties in safe navigation. The traditional white cane is not very helpful. It can only tell you something is in your way after you hit it. This makes it more likely that you will get hurt. We made a Smart Stick to help blind people navigate safely. This Smart Stick uses sensors to help them get around. We used a Raspberry Pi and an ultrasonic sensor to detect things that're in the way and to measure how far away they are. We also use a Pi-Camera to take pictures of what's around them. Then we use methods to look at these pictures and find different kinds of things that might be in their way. The Smart Stick can tell the user what it finds out. It uses Text-to-Speech technology to turn what it detects into sound. For example, it can tell them how away something is or what kind of thing is in their way. Our tests show that the Smart Stick can detect things that're farther away and can tell the user faster than a regular white cane. We want the Smart Stick to be light, inexpensive and work inside and outside. The Smart Stick helps blind people get around easily feel more confident and be safer. This makes it a helpful tool for them to find their way around. The Smart Stick is very useful, for people.
Keywords
Smart Stick, Ultrasonic Sensor, Raspberry Pi, Pi Camera, Obstacle Detection, Image Processing and Audio Feedback, for People