Smart walking cane based on triboelectric nanogenerators for assisting the visually impaired

Abstract

The increasing number of visually impaired individuals due to global population growth and aging poses a significant societal challenge, leading to a substantial demand for devices that can assist the visually impaired. The emergence of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) has provided a novel approach to achieve self-powered sensing, making them ideal candidates for addressing this issue. In this study, a TENG-based smart cane and related sensor system with a super-easy structure and extremely low cost were developed to assist the visually impaired. The proposed smart cane is based on a single-electrode-mode TENG attached to the bottom of the cane to detect potential dangers. The electrical outputs between the bottom friction layers and common road materials were systematically investigated, and the most appropriate sensing material was selected. Furthermore, a four-wall square cage structure and related wireless sensor system were designed for fall-down detection. The as-designed system can collect fall-down signals and transmit them through Bluetooth, which can automatically place emergency phone calls to caregivers or hospitals when the detected signals exceed the threshold. Additionally, the proposed smart cane can achieve long-term durability and function under water-spraying conditions, which shows possible applicability in wetting environment. This study demonstrated a novel approach for blind navigation, danger detection, and fall-down detection, achieving high sensitivity and accuracy at an extremely low cost. Thus, the proposed system has remarkable real-life applicability.