Voice-controlled smart assistive device for visually impaired individuals

This paper presents the modeling, implementation and testing of an experimental microcontroller (MCU) based smart assistive system which can be used by the visually impaired or blind people. This device includes haptic and audio feedback options from which the user can select. A Smart Phone can be used to control the device using predefined voice commands and Bluetooth connectivity. The device is portable and the purpose of its usage is to warn the user when objects are present on the walking path so collision can be avoided. Distance measurements, between the user and possible obstacles, are performed using ultrasonic echolocation and the data provided by the ultrasonic sensor is processed by a microcontroller, which also handles the feedback part. The hardware design, software architecture and mechanical design of the enclosure as well as the breadboard prototyping are covered in this material. Experimental results performed in different functionality scenarios demonstrate that the proposed system can be successfully used to fulfill its purpose.

I. Introduction

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are roughly 39 million blind individuals in the world. Yet another 246 million are visually impaired to the degree that they have difficulties in reading and interpreting signs or printed material [1]. In Romania, approximately 120000 people are registered as officially blind [2].