A G-G Enabled Audio Navigation Device for Visually Challenged People using Haptic Technology (G-GAN)

Votes: 41
Views: 6142

For many visually impaired people, a cane or a stick is a close friend helping them to detect and avoid obstacles in the walking path. During walking with the cane going from place to place, they sense and guess directions and locations by hearing sounds surrounding, sniffing smells in the air, feeling touches on skin, counting footsteps as they walk, and memorizing events in time and space. However, it is difficult for them to guess where they are when the surrounding environment are new or changed, or when they get lost memory of locations.

The important writing method of blind people is to emboss Braille dots on paper with slate and stylus, and the result can be read by finger feeling on the other side of paper, where dots are embossed. However, there are several problems. It takes longer time and larger space to write. Hands get tired quickly because of using force pressing stylus. The dots are not easy to read as emboss dots. It's difficult for blind persons to learn holding stylus perpendicular. The writing is not convenient for transferring, copying, or editing. Therefore, this writing method limits communication ability of blind people. There are some electronic type-writer products are being used but they are bulky and expensive.

This project aims to provide the blind navigation information via audible messages and haptic feedback, helping them localize where are they, where they are going to, and to improve their mobility. This project also allows blind people to enter notes and control device operation via Braille capacitive touch keypad apart from sending SMS by entering the number and text. There is an emergency button which will trigger an SMS that will send the present location of the user (GPS coordinates) to a remote phone number asking for help. In addition, the device provides user information needed, in audio format, including time, calendar, object color, alarm, obstacle distance, navigation direction, ambient light and temperature condition. The purpose of this project is to help blind people improve their communication ability and depend on none during walking in even unknown areas.

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  • ABOUT THE ENTRANT

  • Name:
    Ravi, Thangakumar, Sambath
  • Type of entry:
    team
    Team members:
    J. THANGAKUMAR / Assistant Professor / CSE
    L.SIVARAMAN - FINAL YEAR, BE CSE
    R.SIVARAMAKRISHNAN -FINAL YEAR, BE CSE
  • Profession:
    Educator
  • Number of times previously entering contest:
    2
  • Ravi, Thangakumar,'s hobbies and activities:
    Reading Books,
    Research
    Watching Movies
  • Patent status:
    pending