Embedded Glove’ To Aid The Visually Impaired

This paper presents a model of ‘Embedded Glove’, a hand mounted tactile (vibration mechanism) feedback Sound Navigation And Ranging (SONAR) obstacle avoidance system, by warning through vibration motors for visually impaired to whom traveling in indoor/outdoor environments is really a difficult task. This system acts as an Electronic Travelling Aid (ETA) providing independent mobility of the visually impaired. This model comprises of a glove strapped to the wrist, embedded with ultrasonic sensors, battery, microcontroller and vibrator motors. Along with being completely reliable, this system also provides to be a cost-effective guidance mechanism for the visually impaired. The system is designed to scan a wide area with a set of ultrasonic sensors which also provides a good range and speed in the detection of the obstacle. The detected obstacle is immediately notified to the possessor thereby the presence of obstacle along with its direction is conveyed to the visually impaired person by means of a tactile system. The energy consumption for the whole system is controlled by a Photovoltaic (PV) panel, making it more efficient. The analysis described in this paper helps to estimate the distance at which the obstacle is present based on the reliability of measurement performed with ultrasonic sensors. It is also possible to detect the speed of moving objects in addition to direction with increased accuracy, with the enhanced response timings and varying intensities in the vibration mechanism.