26 August 2009

Smart cane provides visual feel

One of the biggest challenges for visually impaired people is the ability to determine direction and travel freely from place to place.

While common tools available today include canes or guide dogs, a group of engineering students at Central Michigan University (CMU) have designed another tool to improve mobility, the Smart Cane.

The Smart Cane is a device that detects obstacles and provides navigation cues by using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. That is the same technology major retailers use to tag merchandise to prevent theft.

“We are one of the first to research the use of RFID technology outdoors,” said Kumar Yelamarthi, a CMU assistant professor of engineering and project leader. “We’re very excited about what this project will lead to.”

The Smart Cane, which has an ultrasonic sensor mounted on it, pairs with a messenger-style bag worn across the shoulder. A miniature navigational system inside the bag and the Smart Cane work together to detect RFID tags located on mini flags sticking out of the ground.

A speaker located on the bag strap voices alerts after obstacle detection and informs the user which direction to move. For those who are visually impaired and cannot hear, the students created a glove that uses sensors to vibrate different fingertips providing an alert or direction.

Students set up flags on CMU’s campus and tested the system with volunteers who found it to be effective, especially with navigation. Their recommendations along with data collected by the student team will pass along to future student design teams with the goal a fully functional system can some day be up and running at CMU.

“This project started as a way for me to teach students to see and understand the ways that engineering can be used for the greater good,” Yelamarthi said. “We wanted to do something that would help people and make our campus more accessible.”

“The project has immense potential,” said CMU senior Wil Martin, who worked on the student team. “This was a preliminary effort that I believe will pave the way for future projects and ultimately result in a device that will help the visually impaired move with the same ease and confidence as a sighted person.”

For related information, go to www.isa.org/networks.