Navigating Independence: The Smart Walking Stick for the Visually Impaired

Blindness is a common disability that affects millions of people globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are approximately 285 million individuals in the globe who are visually challenged, with 39 million classified as blind and 246 million having low vision. The vast majority, about 90%, of these individuals live in developing countries. Conventional walking sticks are ineffective in identifying obstacles, offering a substantial challenge to the visually impaired. In response to this problem, the study proposes a revolutionary solution: the "smart blind stick." The recent technologies integrates sensors with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and wireless transmission to help visually impaired individuals. The identification of obstacles is vital to its functioning, which is especially important for people with visual impairments. The model consists of an ultrasonic sensor, a camera, and a speaker into the smart blind stick to tackle this issue. These components operate in tandem to detect items and notify the user as soon as they are detected. The smart stick also includes an emergency switch, GSM, and GPS capabilities. In an emergency, the user can activate this option, causing the system to send an SMS to a specified contact, replete with the user's actual location. The incorporation of these characteristics is an important step toward increasing the self-reliance of visually impaired people while navigating their surroundings. The smart blind stick is a companion as well as a walking assistance, allowing users to face daily problems with greater confidence and independence.