Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
October 5, 2018
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Table of Contents
Background 2
Need Statement 3
Project Scope 3
Design Specifications 4
Existing Solutions 5
Gantt Chart 9
References 11
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Background:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is an estimated 253 million
people with impaired vision, 36 million of whom are blind and 102 million of whom have
moderate to severe impaired vision that cannot be corrected by corrective lenses.1 In the United
States, there are over 7 million people with some form of low vision, and in Europe there are
over 30 million blind and low vision individuals demonstrating that vision impairment is a
widespread problem in both developed and developing countries.2,3 In 2014, the U.S. market for
assistive technology for visual impairment was $24.3 billion and has continued to grow every
year.4
Visually impaired people often use a standard white cane to aid their navigation to avoid
tripping, falling, and bumping into objects on the ground. However, the standard white cane is
insufficient for navigation due to its inability to detect overhanging objects such as tree branches
and its inability to detect objects like line dividers where the supports of the object are on the
sides and the middle is at waist height. These insufficiencies pose a danger to visually impaired
people, and can lead to head injuries, bruises, scrapes, falls, and more serious injuries.
The client, Suzanne Erb, as well as many other visually impaired people have voiced a
number of safety and effectiveness concerns involved with using a cane. A major issue for blind
and low vision people is the difficulty in distinguishing objects and people. Since much of
walking and navigation for the blind is based on memory, knowing which objects and obstacles
are temporary (humans) and which ones are permanent (other objects) can greatly aid them
Blind and low vision people are the primary users of this device; this project will improve
their ability to navigate their surroundings with fewer issues and to distinguish objects and
humans. Although many devices are coming into the market to improve blind navigation, this
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device will feature improved object detection as well as improved detection specificity, making
Need Statement:
available for independent mobility that are designed for the visually impaired population by
Client:
The client is Ms. Suzanne Erb, an assistive technology user who understands the need
to improve assistive technology for the blind and visually impaired. She hosts a monthly
“Assistive Technology Think-In” for “Networks for Training and Development, Inc.” where they
discuss assistive technology. Ms. Erb also serves on an advisory board for a project that will
assist people with disabilities who plan to live independently for the first time which is being
Project Scope:
There is a need for a device that improves navigation for the blind and visually impaired
to help them avoid overhanging and surrounding objects. We propose to deliver a portable
device to help blind or visually impaired people accurately locate nearby objects in real-time,
identify the object as human or not, and have enough power to function for at least 8 hours. We
aim to deliver a device that is comfortable and easy to use by a visually impaired person in a
Design Specifications:
Category Specifications
Performance
Performance Category Specifications
Range 0-4m
Existing Solutions:
In order to compensate for the sensory deficit experienced by the visually impaired,
haptic feedback to the tactile system is an effective means of alternative communication, due to
the great density of mechano-tactile receptors that can receive and process information across
the body. One particularly sensitive area that can be targeted for haptic feedback is the hand,
where Meissner’s corpuscles and Meissner’s receptors, which serve to detect and relay the
presence of light touch and vibrations, are densely populated. Several parameters must be
addressed to ensure transmission of vibrotactile information, such as low noise, intensity and
In the field of navigation aids for the visually impaired, various Electronic Travel Aids
(ETAs) with vibrating motors have been produced for outdoor and indoor usage. Such ETAs
have offered a range of solutions: vibrational cues on the wrist through wristbands,
systems, haptic vests stimulating the torso by coin vibration motors, haptic belts stimulating the
circumference of the waist, smart insoles equipped with vibrotactile motors to communicate with
the feet, haptic gloves that vibrate over the palm, handheld devices such as smartphones with
embedded vibrators, and a number of a smart canes with sensorized handles that serve as the
tactile interface.5
Many ETAs utilize ultrasound technology to detect nearby objects. These devices
operate by emitting a sound wave at frequencies over 20 kHz that propagates through the
environment. When these waves hit an object, they are reflected back and are detected by
ultrasound transducers on the device which calculate the distance between the user and the
object based on the time it took for the wave to be reflected. A simple depiction of this process
is shown in Figure 1.
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This has been shown to be an effective method for localizing nearby objects and
At the Centre for Research and Advanced Studies in Guadalajara, Mexico, researchers
have developed special lenses for the blind, but the product does not have a formal
name. The idea of this technology is turning traditional glasses to a navigational device
that will allow the user to move freely without running into static or moving obstacles.
The device is comprised of ultrasound technology, sound sensors, GPS and artificial
voice to guide the user. One advantage of the device is its ability to recognize color or
text using a camera and translate the signal into sound, which can be read aloud to
visually impaired people. A major disadvantage is that the entire device is heavy. The
device has a glass part, a part worn on the waist, and a cord connecting the glass part
and waist part. Thus, it could be very difficult for people to wear on a daily basis. Also,
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the device may not have very accurate indication about the location of obstacles since
there are only two ultrasound transducers, and the camera translating system is only
used for reading colors and text. The product’s website did not give information about
Sunu Band is the first smartwatch that incorporates sonar technology with haptic
feedback to enhance spatial awareness and navigation for the visually impaired.8 It may
be the most successful product in its area and costs a reasonable $300. The band emits
high frequency sound waves that bounce off objects in the user’s surroundings back to
the band, which produces vibration patterns to describe the location of obstacles to the
user. Even though it is meant to be used in conjunction with a cane or a guide dog, Sunu
Band allows the visually impaired to travel more confidently by detecting up to a 5.5m
range, sensing doorways and corners, and warning them of overhanging objects.9 The
wristband for proximity detection and localization of objects for the visually impaired is
patented under a utility patent claiming the integrated electronic components, buttons,
another patent was filed in July 2015 to claim the specific transducer position, the
variable gain amplifier, and the variable position-dependent feedback.11 One potential
drawback of Sunu Band occurs when the user has their arm bent at a 90 degree angle
so that the ultrasound sensors point upwards instead of in front of the user, signifying
that carrying an object in the same hand that is wearing the smartwatch is problematic.12
C) eSight 3- eSight
The eSight 3 glasses are the third and latest version of eSight’s glasses that restore
sight for the visually impaired. It uses a combination of optical and computer technology
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to stimulate the remaining photoreceptors in the eyes of the visually impaired to send
visual information in the brain to enhance vision. The glasses contain a high-definition
camera with advanced algorithms that enhance the footage and present it on two
screens near to the eye in real time. The user also has an optical trackpad that allows
them to refine the image by adjusting the level of zoom, focus, and contrast. A useful
feature in eSight 3 is Bioptic Tilt, which allows for a more complete field of vision by
giving the user access to their native, peripheral vision in three orientations. The way by
which the image is obtained by the camera, magnified, enhanced, and directed to the
user’s eye is patented under an apparatus and method for augmenting sight.13 In
addition, the Bioptic Tilt feature is patented under the angle measurement and automatic
pivoting under the apparatus and method for a bioptic real time video system.14
However, the eSight 3 is not designed for those who have complete vision loss since it
simply augments a live video feed to the remaining visual receptors in the eye. While it
appears to have received favorable reviews, it costs $10000, which is too expensive for
many people.15 Aesthetically, the eSight 3 glasses look more like a large visor than a pair
of glasses, and is therefore one of the more obvious assistive devices on the market.
The eSight 3 also attaches by wire to the trackpad, which could easily get tangled or
WeWalk is a smart cane attachment that improves obstacle detection for the visually
impaired. Using an ultrasound sensor, it uses vibration and auditory alarms to warn the
user.16 The WeWalk smart cane will be available in December of 2018, but can be
pre-ordered now for $449. A major advantage it has over other smart canes and similar
devices is its integration with Uber, Lyft, Alexa, and Google Maps for the user to travel
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more confidently and stay connected.17 Since there is limited analysis and lack of critique
for the WeWalk smart cane prior to its mass release, it is difficult to pinpoint its exact
strengths and weaknesses. However, this device does seem to utilize a significant
amount of audio feedback, which should be slower than haptic signaling by nature due
to the longer relay and processing of the message. The cane attachment also has a 5
hour battery, which can prove frustrating to those who cannot charge it on more than a
daily basis.
Team Organization:
Team members include Kevin Spehar, Suchith De Silva, and Frank Zhang. A preliminary
design schedule for the project are detailed in Figures 2 and 3. Responsibilities of each team
Figure 2: Timeline of important objectives necessary for Senior Design during the Fall 2018 Semester in
Gantt Chart form.
Figure 3: Timeline of important objectives necessary for Senior Design during the Spring 2019 Semester in
Gantt Chart form.
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Research
Prototyping
Testing
Preliminary Presentation
Progress Presentation
V&V Presentation
Website
Table 2: A distribution of work responsibilities between team members.
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References:
10) Sunu, Inc. “It's Your World. Explore It with the Sunu Band.” Sunu Band, 2017,
www.sunu.io/en/index.html.
11) “Sunu.” Global Elevate Awards - Technology for Inclusion, Global Elevate Awards, 2015,
globalelevate.com/nomination_details.php?id=274.
12) “Sunu Band Review- The Blind Life.” YouTube, YouTube, 9 July 2018,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRDnLPbDzSI&t=445s.
13) eSight Corp. “Apparatus and Method for Augmenting Sight.” Justia, 13 Mar. 2012,
patents.justia.com/patent/8135227.
14) eSight Corp. “Apparatus and Method for a Bioptic Real Time Video System.” Justia, 21
June 2016, patents.justia.com/patent/9372348.
15) “ESight Electronic Glasses.” ESight Electronic Glasses, 2018,
www.esighteyewear.com/#FAQ.
16) “Wewalk Best Smart Cane for the Blind & Visually Impaired.” Wewalk Best Smart Cane
for the Blind & Visually Impaired, 2018, get.wewalk.io/.
17) Academy, Young Guru. “Revolutionary Smart Cane for the Visually Impaired.”
Indiegogo, 13 Apr. 2018,
www.indiegogo.com/projects/revolutionary-smart-cane-for-the-visually-impaired#/.