Internet of Things - Enabled Smart Shoes for Blind People

Eyes are undoubtedly the most significant asset humans have, and they play a vital part in our everyday lives. Since we have eyesight, we can see the world around us. However, blind people lack the ability to see these phenomena. As a result, they have a lot of difficulties in moving around at communal locations. This paper aims to create a system that aids in making the lives of blind people more self-sufficient, simpler, and secure while also tracking their health and fitness. Our concept is a Smart Shoe that assists blind people in doing their regular activities, particularly in navigation. This Smart Shoe will be equipped with various sensors connected to an Arduino that will perform a variety of functions such as obstacle detection, pothole detection, slippery surface detection, health tracking, and heat sensing. The project also includes GPS-GSM navigation and location tracking, as well as an emergency-SOS facility to assist blind people in every way imaginable. The entire system is powered by two sources: two batteries as a primary source and piezoelectric plates as an alternate source that generates power when a blind person walks. When sensors detect an obstruction, the data is sent to the microcontroller. The data is then processed by the microcontroller and sent over Bluetooth to the Smart Shoes Android application. The application will then alert the blind person of any impediment via voice instructions, helping them to prevent accidents. Smart Shoes, in combination with the mobile application and many other important functions, will assist the blind person to travel outdoors safely and easily.