GolfGuide : Smart Golf System with Haptic Feedback and Auditory Cues for Visually Impaired Individuals

Participating in sports can be particularly challenging for individuals with visual impairments, especially in golf, where locating the ball, maintaining an appropriate grip, and executing a proper swing are important. To address these challenges, "GolfGuide," an innovative assistive system that provides real-time feedback on grip strength, swing technique, and club’s proximity to the ball was developed. Equipped with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), five Force Sensitive Resistors (FSRs), and a Hall Effect Sensor, the system provides real-time data of the visually impaired golfer’s grip strength and swing. The Inertial measurement unit (IMU) captures three-axis motion data throughout a golfer's swing. Data of all these parameters was gathered from golfers of various skill levels, resulting in two labeled datasets focusing on swing accuracy and grip strength. A Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network was trained on the labeled swing data, while a separate LSTM model was developed to assess grip strength. Data from the IMU and FSRs is transmitted wirelessly via WiFi to a computer, where a Python script processes that data and then uses the trained LSTM models to predict the swing and grip quality. To enhance the golfer's awareness, haptic feedback is provided based on these predictions. Additionally, the Hall Effect sensor, paired with a magnet positioned near the ball is utilized to deliver audio cues regarding proximity between the golf club and the ball. As the golf club approaches the ball, the audio feedback increases in volume, aiding the golfer in accurately positioning the club before swinging. This system achieved gripping and swing evaluation accuracies of around 93% and 86%, respectively, which is highly instrumental in offering practical benefits for the vision-impaired golfers. High accuracy levels would reflect corrective feedback given almost immediately, therefore permitting fine-tuning of both grip and swing mechanics. This way, the system envisions instant guidance, ultimately promoting access and a great golfing experience for the blind because it significantly fosters their independence and continued skill development on the course.