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According to PubMed Central, 253 million people were estimated to have full visual impairment in 2015. Irrespective of its cause and extent, visual impairment to a greater extent means a lower quality of living for the respective individuals. Visually impaired adults also find it difficult to get employed and studied to have higher rates of depression and anxiety. Moreover, accessibility to the blind populations has been quite lacking—They experience restrictions in their independence, mobility, and educational achievement, as well as an increased risk of falls, fractures, injuries, poor mental health, cognitive deficits, etc. Research across the globe have recognized the latter and have attempted to develop technological solutions to the most prevalent problem for the blind populations—commute.
Shoes fitted with ultrasonic sensors which can detect obstacles of various heights, ground pits, and holes along with spectacles have been known to be developed. There have also been projects devised to detect obstacles in the path of a blind individuals and avert them from unnecessary crashes with the impediments via prerecorded voice commands. Recently, researchers have been quite intrigued by the concept of smart shoes as studies with diverse solutions and range of features are being developed to assist blind individuals in their commute. Smart shoes which IoT solutions have been coveted since the technology enables not only real-time navigation but also in creating an ‘ecosystem’ to include a variety of features in these shoes.
Most of the well-recognized IoT smart shoes are accompanied by some supplementary module, either a phone or a cane. researchers in Coimbatore, India, have proposed another smart shoes IoT solution to assist blind people in their daily commute, albeit their solution is devoid of an assisting cane and instead employs smart glasses. Perhaps, what makes this project desirable is the cumulative nature of their solution—they have attempted to combine the pre-existing solutions to assist visually impaired individuals all into one.
Features of the Proposed IoT-powered Smart Shoes for Navigation of Blind Individuals
Following are the features in these IoT powered smart shoes solution to aiding commute of visually impaired populations:
Obstacle and Ground pit Detection: The shoes are equipped with ultrasonic sensors for ground and head-level obstacle detection—one sensor at the toecap, and two others on right and left of each shoe. These sensors are also capable of identifying ground pits or changes in ground elevation. The data about the distance identified by all the three sensors can be transferred via Bluetooth to the mobile which can generate a text alert about potential tripping hazards and aid navigation.
Wet Surface Identification: Their design includes REL_35 Water Level Sensor to detect wet surfaces or slippery areas and there is a provision to receive timely notifications (via bluetooth) to prevent slipping and falling on wet or slippery terrain.
Audio Feedback System: Integrated with an audio feedback system to notify the user about detected obstacles and provide intuitive information to the user.
Fall Detection and Notification: The smart shoes are incorporated with ADXL335 triple axis accelerometer fixed on the right side of the shoe which identifies sudden changes in posture. Immediate notification is sent to a paired mobile device, alerting a pre-selected contact or emergency services.
Location Sharing via Bluetooth: Bluetooth connectivity to pair the smart shoes and glasses with a user’s mobile device is enabled by Bluetooth module HC05 is mounted on the vamp of the shoe. This enables not only the text alerting of obstacles but also shares the user’s location in real-time with a designated contact through Bluetooth pairing.
Energy Harvesting System: The smart shoes are also fitted with 15 piezoelectric plates lined up on the bottom sole to harness energy generated while walking. This harvested energy is used to power the entire system, ensuring sustainability and reducing the need for frequent charging.
Adaptive Learning Algorithm: The entire assistance system for navigation to assist blind individuals is enhanced by adaptive learning algorithms to improve obstacle recognition over time. The system learns from user interactions and refines its obstacle detection capabilities for increased accuracy.
A highly user-friendly user interface integrates the audio feedback tones and notification configurations, also allowing a room for customization which empowers users to tailor the system to their individual needs. The smart shoes IoT navigation system for blind populations is also equipped with a GPS NEO 6 m module which helps in real-time monitoring of the user’s location by assisting authorities.
Figure 1: A visually impaired person navigating their way on a pavement.
Integrated with a wide range of sensors and the consequent features, the IoT powered Smart Shoes navigation system provides visually impaired individuals with a sophisticated and adaptable assistive system for enhanced safety, navigation, and communication. However, this model despite its wondrous capabilities is still a prototype and needs to be tested to suit the exact needs of the respective users. Moreover, it also needs to be cost effective in addition to having a plethora of features for assistance.
The current piezoelectric technology proposed to power the prototypical smart shoes might prove to be inadequate and hence, the researchers are to focus on better alternatives to power the sensors and well as the microcontroller which integrates the sensor data. Additionally, even more features can be included in these smart shoes like gait analysis, pedometer step counting, wireless charging of mobile, Google Maps integration to help guide the blind people to their destination. These innovative IoT-powered smart shoes, designed to aid the daily commute of visually impaired individuals, represent a significant leap in assistive technology. Their application could also be extended to assistance systems for the elderly populations, Alzeihmers and dementia patients and all of those who require constant assistance in navigating through their commute.
The post IoT-powered Smart Shoes for Assisting Visually Impaired Individuals appeared first on IoT Times.
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