Electronic Walking Stick for Visually Impaired Individuals

( DARC BLINDUS )

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements

In Robotics and Intelligent Machine

First Quarter

Researcher/Investigator

Daniel D. Legaspi

September 23, 2019

 CHAPTER I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

INTRODUCTION

Do Blind People See in Their Dreams? According to ‘’The Charles Bonnet

Syndrome: Phantom Visual images”, a person who is born blind has dreams but doesn’t

see images. Mostly, the vision in dreams is comparable to the range of vision the person

has had throughout life. For example, someone who has colorblindness won’t suddenly

see new colors while dreaming. It is all based on experience gathered overtime. Someone

who is blind yet perceives flashes of light and colors may incorporate these experiences

into dreams.

It is possible that some people who are totally blind perceive light non-visually.

The evidence started with a 1923 research project conducted by Harvard graduate student

Clyde Keeler. Keeler bred mice that had a mutation in which their eyes lacked retinal

photoreceptors. Eight years later, scientists discovered intrinsically photosensitive retinal

ganglion cells (ipRGCs). These ipRGCs are found on the nerves that conduct signals

from the retina to the brain.

Amazing electronic glasses help the legally blind see but they are costly

Americans who are blind or usually impaired increases in number each year by 75,000. A

growing cohort of companies, like sight, offer visual tools that can enhance vision-

making things bigger, brighter and bolder so that they’re able to be visible to people like

foster. According to the National Federation of the blind, roughly 10 million Americans
are blind or visually impaired and about 1.3 million of that number are legally blind,

defined as central vision acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye. But 70% of working-

age blind adults are unemployed. Medicare and health insurance companies determine

whether eyesight technology is going to be reimbursable or covered at all.

The investigators designed this project to keep away people who are visually

impaired from accidents, because sometimes accidents may involve blind people in the

process. This study also helps blind people to reach their destination with ease and

confidence without help of others. This can boost the morale of the blind people by doing

some things that normal people do.

Statement of the Problem

This study determines the ability of the robot to detect physical obstacles in terms

of distance, time and efficiency.

Specific questions that the researcher aims to answer are the following:

1.In what distance does the robot detect an obstacle effectively according to the

following surfaces?

a. Rough surface

b. Flat surface

c. Wet surface

2. How long does the robot effectively detect the physical obstacles in front in varying

surfaces?

a. Rough surface

b. Flat surface

c. Wet surface

Statement of the Hypotheses

1. The robot can effectively detect an obstacle at a maximum range of 20-30 cm.

2. The robot can efficiently detect a physical obstacle within 1-2 seconds.

3. The robot can function smoothly on flat surface.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to lessen the cases of accidents which involves blind people.

Moreover, the results of this study will be beneficial to the following:

Community: The results of the study will help the community to lessen the cases of

accidents involving blind people.

Blind people: The blind peole will be guided to their destination without the help of

others.

Other Researchers: This study can be used as their reference material for the future

researchers.

Scope and Limitation

This study is descriptive in nature , which focuses on the ability of the prototype

to detect objects on a certain distance in varying surfaces and is limited only to detect

physical objects in front at a maximum distance of 20-30 cm and is less efficient in

detecting narrow objects and below surfaces . This prototype, Electronic Walking Stick,

is designed to improve more than a normal walking stick to guide and help the visually

impaired individuals.
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

According to Hugh Herr, humans are not disabled. A person can never be

broke. Our engineered setting, our technologies, is broken and disabled.

We the folks needn’t to just accept our limitations, however, will transfer

incapacity through technological innovation. So yes , technology can indeed

neutralize human disability; with this in mind let us use the power of Arduino and simple

sensors to build a Blind man’s stick that could perform more than just a stick for visually

impaired people. This sensible stick can have associate unhearable device to sense

distance from any obstacle, LDR to sense lightning conditions and a RF remote using

which the blind man could remotely located his stick. Arduino sensible Blind Stick

Project needs 2 separate circuits. One is that the main circuit which is able to be

mounted on the blind man’s stick. Arduino Nano is employed to manage all the

sensors. The complete board is powered by a 9V battery which is regulated to t5V

using a 7805 voltage regulator..

Visually impaired individuals are the people that find it troublesome to

acknowledge the tiniest detail with healthy eyes. Those who have the visual acuteness of

6/60 or the horizontal vary of the field of regard with each eyes open have but or

adequate twenty degrees. The main downside with blind individuals is the way to

navigate their way to where they need to travel. Such people need assistance from others
with good eyesight. As described by WHO, 10% of the visually impaired have no

functional eyesight at all to help them move around without assistance and safety. High-

end technological solutions are introduced recently to assist blind persons navigate

severally. Vision is that the most significant a part of human physiology as eighty three of

knowledge individual gets from the atmosphere is via sight. The 2011 statistics by the

World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 70 million people in the

world living with visual impairment, 7 million of which are blind and 63 million with low

vision.(M.S Nowak and J. Smigielski, “The Prevalence and Causes of disability and

vision defect among Older Adults within the town of urban center,Poland.” Medicine,Vol

94,number 5, pp. E505,February 2015 doi.10.1097/MD.000000000000505)

Smart Walking Stick for visually impaired. The planned methodology could be an

easy walking stick equipped with sensors to grant data regarding the atmosphere GPS

technology integrated with pre-programmed locations permits the user to decide on the

optimal route to be taken. Integration of a GSM module for safety purposes. (G. Gayathri,

M. Vislinupriya, R. Nandhini and M. Banupriya “Smart Walking Stick for Visually

Impaired” International Journal of Engineering and engineering science. Vol.3, number

3,pp. 4057-4061,2014.)

Designed and enforced a wise Stick for Obstacle Detection and Navigation. It

used GPS and GSM module. GPS to give positioning and navigating to the stick. GSM

module helps to give notifications when the blind person is faced with threats. The

system is powered by a rechargeable battery. The smart stick facilitates the blind person

to make calls at times of energy via the GSM/GPRS module. (R. Radhika, P.G. Pai, S.

Rakshitha and R. Srinath “Implementation of good Stick for Obstacle Detection and
Navigation.” International Journal of Latest analysis in Engineering and Technology,

vol.2, range five pp.45-50, 2016.)

GPS technology is integrated with pre-programmed locations to determine the

optimal route that the blind should navigate. Also, a voice enabled equipment switching

is provided to help the blind person in private domain. The GSM module and relay are

for the purpose of switching on the equipment. It helps in transferring the information

about the needed operation to be performed on the equipment and generates resultant

switching action. The smart stick not only aids in detecting obstructions placed at a

distance in front of the user, but also provides real time assistance via GPS.(A. Jose, G.

George, M.R. Nair, M.J Shilpa and M.B. Mathar “Voice Enable Smart Walking Stick for

Visually Impaired” International Journal of Advanced Research in Electrical, Electronics

and Instrumentation Engineering, vol.5, pp.80-85, 2016.)

Proposed Smart White Cane which is a Sophisticate and Economic Walking Aid.

Their technique alerts users by pre-recorded sound messages and a tactual feedback in

kind of vibrations. The stick will find pits, potholes, downfalls, way (up and down), low

lying and knee level obstacles and even those above the waist. Their proposed stick is

designed to detect obstacles which may help the blind navigate carefree. The system

provides ON/OFF switch, vibration feedback and the audio jack on the handle itself. The

system does not have a global positioning method to find the position of the user using

the GPS and guidance to their destination given to the user by voice navigation. The idea

behind the design of the stick was to keep structurally similar i.e thin, lightweight and

easy to handle, yet gave an active feedback to the user regarding hazards to his walking

path.(R. Sheth, S. Rajandekar, S. Laddha and R. Chaudhari “Smart White cane –An
Elegant and Economic Walking Aid”. American Journal of Engineering Research. Vol.3,

number 19, pp. 84-89, 2014.)

In an intelligent walking stick for the Blind was proposed. The navigation device

for the visually impaired is targeted on providing voice output for obstacle navigation

victimization infrared sensors, RFID technology, and android devices. The device is

connected to an android phone through Bluetooth. An android application is designed

which gives voice navigation based on RFID tag server. The components of the system

are: AT89c51 microcontroller, Bluetooth HC05, MAX232, ADC 0808 and IR sensors,

RFID sensor, Android Phone, Server and Android Application. The system is used each

indoor and out of doors navigation. Blind person’s location can be tracked whenever

needed which will ensure additional safety. (C.S. Kher, Y.A. Dabhade, S.K. Kadam, S.D.

Dhamdhere and A.V. Deshpande” associate Intelligent Walking Stick for the Blind.”

International Journal of Engineering analysis and General Science,vol.3,number 1,

pp,1057-1062,2015.)

Proposed Smart Electronic Stick for Visually Impaired. Their projected system

could be a theoretical model and a system conception to produce a sensible electronic aid

for blind individuals. The system is to provide artificial vision, object detection and

emergency messaging facility. Output is within the kind of beeps that the visually

handicapped person will hear. GPS and GSM are used to acquire the exact location of the

blind person at times of emergency and send the coordinates to his/her relatives. The

sensors employed in the stick projected area unit extremely correct and sensitive. They

provide exact reading of obstacles and distance to be travelled. Their proposed stick was

intended to provide low cost and efficient navigation aid for the blind. ( B. G.
Roopashree, B. S. Patiland B. R. Shruthi. “Smart Electronic Stick for Visually Impaired.”

International Journal of Innovative analysis in Science, Engineering and Technology,

Vol. 4, number 7, pp. 6389-6389, 2015.)

 CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This section deals with the theory of some of the components used as well as the

design and implementation of an intelligent walking stick for the blind.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The ultrasonic sensor transmitter generates signals and transmits them in a

particular direction which will then be reflected back when they are approaching any

obstacles, then the ultrasonic sensor receiver receives it and sends it to the

microcontroller which will trigger/switch ON the Buzzer

.RESEARCH INSTRUMENT

The Arduino UNO is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328. It has 14

digital outputs and inputs pins of which 6 can be used as PMW Outputs, 6 analog inputs,

a 16 MHz quartz crystal, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP reset button.

The figure 1 below is the block diagram of the Arduino UNO which shows the

various components used in the design and implementation of the smart stick.
 POWER

BANK

ULTRASONIC
SENSOR RF
RECEIVER

SWITCH ARDUINO
BUZZER
UNO

Fig 1: A Block diagram of Arduino UNO

A. Ultrasonic Sensor

Generating, detecting and processing ultra-sonic signals. Ultrasonic is the

production of sound waves above the frequency of human hearing and can be used in a

variety of applications such as, sonic rulers, proximity detectors, movement detectors,

liquid level measurement.

B. Buzzer

A transducer (converts electrical energy into mechanical energy) that typically

operates. A buzzer is in the lower portion of the audible frequency range of 20Hz to
20KHz. This is accomplished by converting an electric, oscillating signal in the audible

range, into mechanical, in the form of audible waves. Buzzer is used in this research to

warn the blind person against obstacle by generating sound proportional to distance from

obstacle.

C. Power Bank

A power bank is a compact charger intended to revive your electronic devices

when you're moving. Running in size from thin, pocket-evaluated gadgets to bigger,

higher-limit power banks – they can be utilized to charge mobile phones, tablets, GoPros,

versatile speakers, cameras and even workstations. As innovation continues improving,

we are progressively finding that coming up short on battery can be a major issue. Cell

phones presently accompany enormous, vitality sapping screens, mainstream applications

like Pokemon Go, Tinder and Google Maps all spot huge depletes on our batteries.

D. Wires and Cables

A wire is a solitary, normally barrel shaped, adaptable strand or bar of metal.

Wires are utilized to hold up under mechanical burdens or power and media

communications signals. Wire is usually shaped by drawing the metal through a gap in a

pass on or draws plate. Wire checks come in different standard sizes, as communicated as

far as a measure number. The term wire is likewise utilized all the more freely to allude

to a heap of such strands, as in "multistranded wire", which is all the more effectively

named a wire rope in mechanics, or a link in power.

Alternatively referred to as a cord, connector or plug, a cable is one or more wires

covered in a plastic covering that allows for the transmission of power or data between
devices. The picture is an example of what the power cord may look like for your

computer or monitor. The power cord is one example of thousands of other cables found

in and around computers.

RESEARCH PROCEDURE

I. Assembling the components for the device

The investigators assemble the components such as the Arduino Uno, Ultrasonic

sensor, wires, cables, PVC pipe, power bank, wheels and the buzzer for the device.

II. Programming the System

The investigators program their own system from their device. The programming

language that the investigators will use is C language.

III. Assembling all the parts of the device

The investigators assemble all the parts of the device. This procedure includes the

putting the circuit board on the walking stick.

IV. Testing the Device

The investigators test the device. The investigators will run test that can measure

the capability of their device.

 Start

Ultrasonic sensor sense obstacle

Microcontroller calculate if the obstacle

NO
is close enough

Close enough?

OBSTACLE

YES PHYSICAL
OBJECTS

BUZZER
SOUND

END

Figure 2: A block Diagram of Arduino Uno Process

 CHAPTER 4

PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

This chapter presents the data gathered, the results of the analysis done and

interpretation of findings. These are presented in tables following the sequence of the

specific research problem.

FLAT SURFACE

TRIALS DISTANCE (cm) TIME (seconds)

1 25 cm 0.75 s

2 24 cm 0.87 s

3 22.5 cm 1.03 s

TABLE 1. This shows the ability of the prototype, Electronic Walking Stick
in detecting physical obstacles in front on a flat surface.

The table 1 shows the results in detecting physical obstacles in front of the

prototype, Electronic Walking Stick. It also shows the actual distance and time of

detecting physical obstacles using the prototype on flat surface. It shows that the nearer

the larger the time, the nearer the obstacle it is. It shows that there is a little delay in

detecting the obstacle. In trial 1 and 2, the prototype detects the obstacle
 ROUGH SURFACE

TRIALS DISTANCE (cm) TIME (seconds)

1 22 cm 1.71 s

2 22.5 cm 1.37 s

3 12 cm 1.75 s

TABLE 2. This shows the ability of the prototype, Electronic Walking Stick
in detecting physical obstacles in front on a rough surface.

FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=VAR00001 VAR00002
  /PERCENTILES=100.0

  /STATISTICS=STDDEV MEAN MEDIAN MODE

  /GROUPED=VAR00001 VAR00002

  /ORDER=ANALYSIS.

Frequencies

Notes

Output Created 21-Sep-2019 16:41:41

Comments

Input Active Dataset DataSet0

Filter <none>

Weight <none>

Split File <none>

N of Rows in Working Data File 4

Missing Value Handling Definition of Missing User-defined missing values are treated as
missing.

Cases Used Statistics are based on all cases with valid

data.
Syntax FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=VAR00001
VAR00002

/PERCENTILES=100.0

/STATISTICS=STDDEV MEAN MEDIAN

MODE

/GROUPED=VAR00001 VAR00002

/ORDER=ANALYSIS.

Resources Processor Time 00:00:00.016

Elapsed Time 00:00:00.036

[DataSet0] 

Statistics

VAR00001 VAR00002

N Valid 4 4

Missing 0 0
Frequency Table

VAR00001

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid 22.5 1 25.0 25.0 25.0

24 1 25.0 25.0 50.0

25 1 25.0 25.0 75.0

Distance 1 25.0 25.0 100.0

Total 4 100.0 100.0

VAR00002

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid 0.75 1 25.0 25.0 25.0

0.87 1 25.0 25.0 50.0

1.03 1 25.0 25.0 75.0

Time 1 25.0 25.0 100.0

Total 4 100.0 100.0

FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=VAR00001 VAR00002 VAR00003 VAR00004

  /PERCENTILES=100.0

  /STATISTICS=STDDEV MEAN MEDIAN MODE

  /GROUPED=VAR00001 VAR00002 VAR00003 VAR00004

  /ORDER=ANALYSIS.

Frequencies

Notes

Output Created 21-Sep-2019 16:43:17

Comments

Input Active Dataset DataSet0

Filter <none>

Weight <none>

Split File <none>

N of Rows in Working Data File 4

Missing Value Handling Definition of Missing User-defined missing values are treated as
missing.

Cases Used Statistics are based on all cases with valid

data.
Syntax FREQUENCIES VARIABLES=VAR00001
VAR00002 VAR00003 VAR00004

/PERCENTILES=100.0

/STATISTICS=STDDEV MEAN MEDIAN

MODE

/GROUPED=VAR00001 VAR00002
VAR00003 VAR00004

/ORDER=ANALYSIS.

Resources Processor Time 00:00:00.015

Elapsed Time 00:00:00.005

[DataSet0] 

Statistics

VAR00001 VAR00002 VAR00003 VAR00004

N Valid 4 4 4 4

Missing 0 0 0 0
Frequency Table

VAR00001

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid 22.5 1 25.0 25.0 25.0

24 1 25.0 25.0 50.0

25 1 25.0 25.0 75.0

Distance 1 25.0 25.0 100.0

Total 4 100.0 100.0

VAR00002

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid 0.75 1 25.0 25.0 25.0

0.87 1 25.0 25.0 50.0

1.03 1 25.0 25.0 75.0

Time 1 25.0 25.0 100.0

Total 4 100.0 100.0

 VAR00003

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid 12 1 25.0 25.0 25.0

22 1 25.0 25.0 50.0

22.5 1 25.0 25.0 75.0

Distance 1 25.0 25.0 100.0

Total 4 100.0 100.0

VAR00004

Cumulative
Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent

Valid 1.37 1 25.0 25.0 25.0

1.71 1 25.0 25.0 50.0

1.75 1 25.0 25.0 75.0

Time 1 25.0 25.0 100.0

Total 4 100.0 100.0