Capstone Project
| Group | 2023-20 | Status | completed |
| Title | Smart Walking Stick for Visually Impaired | ||
| Supervisor | H. Rivaz, T. Fevens (CSSE) | ||
| Description | Visually impaired individuals are faced with daily challenges. In fact, 1.8 million of Canadians are visually impaired. [1] During everyday tasks, obstacles can come in many forms and the traditional white cane (the tool used by visually impaired people) is unable to detect certain obstacles such as ones coming from above. Additionally, commuting in urban areas with complex traffic and navigating through new locations can pose a challenge to these individuals.
This capstone project explores the lack of technology offered to visually impaired and the issues they face when walking around a traffic area. The goal is to help individuals navigate safely, independently and have access to modern technological advancements used for guidance and ease of mobility in different environments. This project/product is catered to the visually impaired population of Canada. According to the health policy institute, a census on the visually impaired indicated that people with visual impairment struggle with daily activities and social activities due to their lack of independence. Hence, our smart white cane is developed with the goal of improving the quality-of-life of the visually impaired population by granting them the ability to gain more independence through more information. This device can be used in different climates from outdoor urban areas to indoor environments. It will help with navigation for users by detecting and assisting them during their everyday routines by warning them of the presence of obstacles at different heights and angles. For instance, navigating around other pedestrians, bollards, crosswalks, uneven terrain, and stairs. A fully independent hardware will enable the user to have enhanced obstacle detection in real time and alert them with haptic feedback. In support of the smart walking stick an independent mobile app is designed to provide additional features to the users such as GPS localization and mapping services which can be seen by other users. Deliverables •Self-reliant smart white cane •Hardware/Product •Supporting app for GPS functionality (third party user) |
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| Student Requirement | Useful Classes • COEN/ELEC 390 • COEN 243/244/352 • SOEN 341 • ELEC 311/312/372 Software Skills • C++ • Java • Android Studios • Matlab | ||
| Tools | Hardware • PCB Board • Sensors • LEDs • GPS sensor • Microprocessor Software • AutoCAD • Android Studio • Visual Studio • Altium • Matlab Equipment • Voltmeter/DMM/etc. • Soldering Kit | ||
| Number of Students | 7 | ||
| Students | E. Assouad, J. Goi, M. Oakes, L.-D. Nguyen, S. Patel, H. Tang, K.-Y. Wang | ||
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