The story start when I saw a blind people trying hard to walk pass through obstacles like road hole, stairs, etc. with their traditional blind cane. It really trigger me to try build this prototype even though I'm not expert enough on handling electronic devices. By using different kind of sources in the internet, I manage to complete it last year during my final year project. Besides that, I also enhance the prototype by adding GPS location. Thanks to 1Sheeld, it really helps me to finish this prototype within 6 month.

Step 1

To power on the Blind Stick Navigator, it need to be power using external power. I'm using 9v battery as an introduction on how it capable off. From what I've had seen, my prototype had disadvantage to provide long term power usage. Thus, it need an enhancement like solar panel/power somehow.

Step 2

After powering it on using the battery that connect to the USB power adapter at microcontroller Arduino Uno, the guardian need to always let the Bluetooth connection (Android smartphone) connecting to the microcontroller. Then, you need to open the 1Sheeld apps that already installed in the smartphone and enable the GPS and SMS features.

**Yeah I know blind people can't see and access the smartphone, but at least if I or you manage to do the modification at the Android OS smartphone, it will make a lot of easier. I've already try my best to find better smartphone that provide braille button, but I failed. Thus, I hope in future, there will be an upgrade for my prototype.

Step 3

Based on the block diagram above, as you can see, this is how the connection between devices happen. After these two being power on, the blind people can start using the Blind Stick Navigator. Based on the observation on the traditional white cane, the blind people will always swing around the blind stick to get a confirmation on their surrounding. But, with Blind Stick Navigator, it will help them to get vibrate notification on the obstacle at the middle and lower sight. The obstacle detected using ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04. It been attached at upper of the stick and bottom of the stick. I'm using PVC pipe because, I can put the vibrate DC motor inside the PVC pipe. The vibration mode can be alter in the code given using Arduino IDE software.

Step 4

Besides that, the Blind Stick Navigator can provide longitude and latitude of the blind people location. This is because, the smartphone act as provider and provide GPS location for this process. The toggle switch is add-up to make the blind people easier to click the emergency button to inform the recipient that he/she already lost or in danger. By clicking it one or couple of times, the smartphone will sent a message informing that they need help and please search him based on the GPS and Google Map link. The number of the recipient can be set whether the message want to be sent to the authority or the guardian of the blind people only. The length of the stick is adjustable according to height of the user. For this prototype, I'm using specific length and the length of the detection can be alter in the code.

Step 5

Last but not least, I hope that my prototype is used worldwide or be commercialize thus helps blind people during their journey/life. Moreover, I'm really sorry about my grammar because my English is not quite good. I don't know to describe more in this post. All of the information I already compiled in the attachment. You can refer more about this project based on the link I provided below.

Document of the Project :

Poster of the Project :

Video of the Project :