ICap: A Low-Cost Cap for Visually Impaired

Abstract

Abstract: The boom in science and technology has significantly contributed towards the welfare, comfort and ease of movement of mankind, more so for the specially-abled sections of society. Though smart canes are considered to be the cutting-edge technology in terms of improving the lifestyle of visually impaired persons, there are still a few core issues which need to be keenly addressed such as detection of hanging objects, providing hands-free environment, prevention of accidental damage to surroundings, etc. Obstacles like hanging tree branches, open windows, hanging objects or boards on the roads, are few of the hurdles which still pose a problem for the blind. Smart canes do not provide a solution to such problems, although detection of potholes and obstacles lying on the ground have successfully been achieved. Furthermore, with a huge section of the visually impaired being uneducated and financially weak, most smart devices available in the market remain unaffordable and unusable. In this paper, we propose a solution for such obstacles in the form of the “iCap”. The iCap is a light weight and low-cost embedded system; an intelligent cap capable of detecting potholes, obstacles lying on the ground as well as hanging obstacles using a pair of ultrasonic sensors (HC-SR04). It enables the wearer (the visually impaired person) to navigate independently without the fear of being hit by random obstacles. Additionally, experiments were carried out to find the actual area within which an object would be detected by the iCap, and also the thresholds of size and shape of objects beyond which the objects would remain undetected