Assistant Device for the Visually Impaired with a Hybrid Rangefinder System

The article discusses the circuit solutions necessary for the synthesis of an assistive assistant for the visually impaired, and also provides the results of its tests in real operating conditions. The developed device has 4 rangefinder sensors (3 - Time-of-Flight, 1 - ultrasonic), which allows to view the space in front of the user and warn him in case of obstacles. Particular attention is paid to the ability to recognize obstacles that pose a danger to the user’s health, such as threats at head level (for example, branches) and obstacles from below (for example, holes or posts). Using two different types of sensors allows for more reliable operation under different environmental conditions. The circuitry of the device is deliberately made from relatively inexpensive components in order to achieve a low price for the device, which is important for the end user. In the experiments section, the dependences of distance on time are presented, they are compared with the results previously obtained by other authors.