Design and development of an assistive device for the visually impaired

Abstract

Visual impairment is a disability resulting in partial or complete loss of vision. It results in hindrance to perform daily chores, thereby decreasing the quality of life. This study aims to augment the user’s experience with digital interfaces (e.g., the display system of personal computers and smartphones) through the design of an efficient system enabling easier and effective user navigation. A detailed case study is performed, followed by empathy-based design methodology. As a result, a haptic sensor glove for the desktop system and a launcher application for the smartphone is designed, which is further validated. This system provides spatial-cognitive information to the user, which helps them to effectively navigate digital interfaces. The features included in the PC display system are spatial boundaries, reduced sequential processes, and navigation using haptic sensors. The smartphone-based launcher application consists of an error handling function and a speech to text conversion using Google speech API.