A Smart Cane with Fall Detection System for People with Visual Impairments

According to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people suffer from near or distance vision impairment, and this number is expected to increase as the population ages. The prevalence of vision impairment in low- and middle-income regions is four times greater than in high-income regions, which poses a significant challenge for visually impaired individuals in terms of accessibility, mobility, and independence. It is imperative that assistive technology be affordable. Among visually impaired individuals, aging is associated with a decrease in independence and an increased risk of falling. A study conducted by HealthInAging.org estimated that approximately 30% of adults over 65 fall each year, and this risk is more than double for those who are visually impaired. These individuals are also limited in their activities by a fear of falling. We propose a smart white cane that includes an emergency fall alert system to alert appropriate personnel and the family of a visually impaired individual who has fallen. Users receive haptic feedback when approaching obstacles using ultra-sensors. A smart cane detects a fall and sends a text message to the appropriate persons in the event of a fall with more than 95% accuracy. Our contribution includes a detection algorithm, a falling alert system, and a wireless communication approach.