Voice assisted navigation system for the blind

The visually impaired are at a considerable disadvantage because they often lack the information for avoiding obstacles and hazards in their path. They have very little information on self-velocity, objects, direction - which is essential for travel. Previously developed navigation systems use costly equipment which is often not affordable by the common blind community. The navigation systems available are heavy and very complicated to operate. This research has been aimed at design and development of a smart and intelligent cane which helps in navigation for the visually impaired people. The navigator system designed will detect an object or obstacle using ultrasonic sensors and gives audio instructions for guidance. The signals from the ultrasound sensor are processed by a microcontroller in order to identify sudden changes in the ground gradient and/or an obstacle in front. The algorithm developed gives a suitable audio instruction depending on the duration of ultrasound travel which in turn is made available by an mp3 module associated with the system. This work presents a new prototype of navigation system on a cane which can be used as a travel aid for blind people. The product developed is light in weight, hence, does not cause fatigue to the user. This project is developed by keeping in view the affordability and reliability. An obstacle as close as 4cm can be detected by this module. A resolution of 15cm of obstacle distance has been designed and achieved. This system can also detect potholes on the path.