Abstract
This paper presents the prototype of an electronic vibration bracelet designed to help the visually and hearing impaired to receive and send emergency alerts. The bracelet has two basic functions. The first function is to receive a wireless signal and respond with a vibration to alert the user. The second function is implemented by pushing one button of the bracelet to send an emergency signal. We report testing on a prototype system formed by a mobile application and two bracelets. The bracelets and the application form a complete system intended to be used in retirement apartment communities. However, the system is flexible and could be expanded to add new features or to serve as a research platform for gait analysis and location services. The medical and professional potential of the proposed system is that it offers a simple, modular, and cost-effective alternative to all the existing medical devices with similar functionality currently on the market. The proposed system has an educational potential as well: it can be used as a starting point for capstone projects and demonstration purposes in schools to attract students to STEM disciplines.
Highlights
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one third of people older than 65 suffer from a disabling hearing loss [1]
The rechargeable battery, which can be charged through the USB port, has a built in protection IC, and a switching circuit used to detect if the vibration alert bracelet is connected to USB or not; if connected to USB, the switching circuit enables the battery charger at the same time with passing the supply to the power converter
Please note that while we have developed the VabApp mobile application with Android Studio, the VabApp structure can be replicated in order to run with any other mobile operating system (OS)
Summary
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one third of people older than 65 suffer from a disabling hearing loss [1]. According to the reported statistics, there are 466 million people suffering from disabling hearing loss and this number is expected to increase to over 900 million by the year 2050. While intended primarily for smartphone as end points, this system can integrate with existing alarm systems installed already in homes [3] Such systems are generic in nature, and do not necessarily help people with visual/hearing impairment. We present a complete free and opensource design of a visual/hearing-impaired alert device. It consists of an electronic bracelet, which vibrates when it receives a notification signal from a central manager. Designed to be cost-effective yet extendable, we hope this design will be adopted and improved in other practical, educational, and research settings
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