2012 Sixth International Conference on Next Generation Mobile Applications, Services and Technologies
Obstacles Recognition System for the Blind People
Using RFID
M. Nassih, I. Cherradi, Y. Maghous, B. Ouriaghli and Y. Salih-Alj
School of Science and Engineering, Al Akhawayn University (AUI)
P.O. Box 2134, Ifrane 53000, Morocco.
{m.nassih, i.cherradi, y.maghous, ba.ouriaghli, y.salihalj} @aui.ma
Abstract— This paper outlines an obstacle
recognition system for the blind people using the Radio-
frequency identification (RFID). In order to walk without
being accompanied, people with visual impairment use
touching clues such as canes. The main concern of blind people
is to be able to detect any type of obstacle within their
surroundings. For that, several techniques have been
developed such as Differential Global Positioning System
(DGPS) or Radio-frequency identification (RFID). Previous
experiences of different researches have proven the limits of
the DGPS in localizing the position of people and obstacles in
different situations, while the RFID is being developed to
better meet the needs of the visually impaired people. This
paper aims on developing a blind recognition system through
canes using RFID and covers a brief insight of relevant work
about the RFID system. The review of RFID system introduces
the technical features of this utility and presents the concept of
research being developed in smart canes for blind people. The
information such as the costs of the components of the
suggested RFID-based system is provided.
Keywords: RFID, visually impaired people, recognition
system, smart cane, DGPS.
I. INTRODUCTION
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
there are 285 million visually impaired people in the world,
39 million of which are blind and 246 million have a low
vision. Nowadays, technology dominates and makes people’s
tasks easy in different domains. Yet, people who are visually
impaired still struggle every day in performing actions that
can be as simple as moving from one point to another
without falling down, or knocking against obstacles.
Research has been conducted on how to make white canes
more technology-oriented to maximize their use and benefit.
However, all technologies selected require power sources
that can make the recharge of the canes difficult for the
visually impaired, due to complications related to the wiring,
for instance. This research suggests a system that will
convert the mechanical energy created by the motion of the
cane to electrical one, thereby making the charging of its
battery a continuous process [1].
Mobility assistance for people with visual impairment
was improved using different methods of navigation. Those
methods used two main techniques: Differential Global
978-0-7695-4803-6/12 $26.00 © 2012 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/NGMAST.2012.28
Positioning system (DGPS) and Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) tags.
A. Radio-frequency Identification System
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the use of
radio-frequency electromagnetic fields through wireless to
transfer data from the tag of an object for system
identification and tracking. The tag contains electronic
stored information that can be identified from some meters
away. The tag is usually embedded in the object and does
not need to be in the sight line of the person to be read. The
Radio-frequency identification is more used in the canes for
the blind people as it is unaffected by poor lighting
conditions or any other constraints that impede the
performance of other systems [2]. The use of the RFID
system became widespread as it offers its users a wide range
of products depending on whether it includes a battery or
not, which will give the canes’ users more flexibility in
choosing the cane that best meets their needs [3].
B. Background Research using RFID
Several studies have been conducted in the domain of the
RFID technology to improve blind people’s life. Many
innovative ideas have been developed in this sense and one
of them consists on adapting it to the blind’s cane.
The idea behind it is to place RFID tags on the cane as
well as in different locations (in a given city for instance) in
order for signal to be transmitted in a tactical manner through
the contact between the cane and the detectors on the floor.
There are different kinds of blind’s canes, but this research
tackles only the ones that use the Braille system. Those canes
are made of different components which interact with each
other to produce a message in Braille which can be read by
the user to identify their location or any eventual obstacle,
object, etc. They are called “Smart Canes”. First, the RFID
reader collects information on the environment (location,
surroundings) from the passive tags, and then the data is
communicated to a control unit which takes care of the
display of the message in Braille through the
electromechanical switches in the cane handle. This control
unit is made of a microcontroller unit (MCU) that is
programmed to select the dots using decoders and buffers
that send electrical messages that lead to the raising or
lowering of pins, which allows displaying the text in Braille.
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Lithium ion batteries (LIB) are used as the power source for The RFID reader detects the tag platform and reads all
the reader and the control unit [4]. the information stored in the tag using wireless connection.
The information is then read, analyzed and the data retrieved
Sesamonet is a project that was built in Italy to facilitate is transmitted to a control unit that translates the information
blind people’s motion. It is composed of four different into Braille code. This information –that is now in Braille- is
components: the tag grid, the RFID reader, the handheld displayed on a Braille interface.
(Bluetooth earpiece and headset) and the navigation data
server. The tag grid is composed of multiple tags embedded
in the ground at 4 cm; each one is having a unique ID. This Tag Read
Control
Braille Touch Human
grid is one of the key elements of orientation. After getting Unit
the tag,the RFID reader in the cane reads the tag's ID and
transmits the information through a Bluetooth channel - that
can be downloaded from a server- to be processed by the Figure 1: Configuration of the RFID reader system.
program running in a PDA machine. The message is then
sent on a different Bluetooth channel directly to the headset As it is shown in Figure 1 above, the handle of the cane
which verbally displays the message to the user [4]. will be equipped with a Braille translator that will display the
Braille information by combining the appropriate
In addition to these tools, and to avoid the discomfort that combination of “handle bumps”.
can be caused by a headset, another instrument composed of
a communication device and a position identification system
was elaborated for blind and blind-deaf people [5].
Instructions from Reader
This device is in the form of a tactile interface which has
a system made of a wearable computer and two Finger-
Braille interfaces linked via wireless communication using
two Linux-based wristwatch computers that communicate
via a Bluetooth communication. On the other hand, the MCU
positioning system is based on RFID tags distributed on the
ground. The tag reader allows the retrieval of navigational
data from the RFID tags and therefore the position can be
calculated and then transferred to the wearable computer Electromech Switches
which transfers it to the user from a Finger-Braille interface
via the Bluetooth network according to the user’sposition [5].
II. SYSTEM ANALYSIS
A. System Description Braille Display
The system proposed is based on a smart cane that works
in the following: an RFID tag is installed on all the areas that
Figure 2: Dots system.
need to be identified (a tag is an ID card of the location that
stores all the necessary information (Name of the street,
The Braille handle on the cane will allow the blind
number of crosswalks, nearest bus station) that the user
person to read - by touching - the information that was
needs to know), These tags will serve as a landmark to the
retrieved from the tag reader and to display it in the form of
person using the cane. Every tag will be equipped with as
Braille lines that the person will be able to touch and read.
much information as needed to clearly define the location of
that precise tag. For example a tag will give the name of the The Braille handle works on selection of “bumps” or dots
street, the crossing street and the postal code of the location and electromechanical switching. The tag-reader transmits
or the name of the place (i.e. restaurant, shops). The tag will the information to a microcontroller unit that translates the
also incorporate additional information concerning directions read signal into switches by either lowering or elevating a
and locations of other sensitive location (i.e. Bus station, bump or dot; thus forming words. It is meant by every
subway station and phone boots). The tag will be covered by elevated bump a “dot” and every lowered one “an empty
a protective shield to keep it safe from any harm [6]. dot”.
The cane used in this system is the one currently The proposed system would be powered by a battery that
available in its specific market and that is commonly used by needs to be changed frequently. The innovation added to the
the visually impaired people. It has an RFID tag reader on current system consists on coming up with a technique that
the cane and a Braille interface so the blind person can use it. will prevent the user from recharging the battery every time
However, the addition proposed consists on the incorporation and worrying about its lifetime while using it. The idea is to
of a mechanical battery that will enable the cane to always make to battery an autonomous component of the cane [6].
have a full battery which will avoid its users to run out of
battery while using it. B. Improvements on the System
The additional feature that had to be implemented
concerns the battery. The cane and its wiring are

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complicated, and changing the battery can be difficult; TABLE 1: SYSTEM COMPONENTS COST ANALYSIS
especially if it dies at a critical moment. The proposed
solution consists on installing an alternative method that will Name Description Estimated
enable everyone to use the cane without worrying about its Cost
battery life. The added value to the smart cane relates to the
installation of the same mechanical system that is deployed Maverick-IIB3 Micro-controller $70.00
on wind-up watches. There would be an oscillating weight
that will move at the slightest motion of wrist, and this
motion will be amplified and transferred to the rotor. This Parallax 125MHz RFID Tag Reader $40.00
same rotor charges the oscillating weight by magnetism RFID Module
effect which is caused by a rotor and then converted by a
small generator to electricity that will be stored in a Parallax 12MHz RFID Tag $62.00
capacitor. Then, a smart chip regulates the quantity of energy Transponder
that should be released in the circuitry to make the watch
work [7]. 7.2V Battery Integrated $30.00
A similar system will be installed inside the cane so that Rechargeable
when a person probes the ground or any surface, either Battery
vertical or horizontal, the cane hits this surface with certain
strength and the chock of contactdissipates inside the cane PAC Braille 15 Braille translator $1000.00
fuselage. cells
The installation of an identical system of the wind-up
watch within the cane consists on the following steps: the Wound up Disk Energy Supply $83.00
system is encapsulated in a cylinder,this later will be fixed on System (barely)
the edges of the inside cane by screws so that it can rotate
freely. When the personprobes a surface; the energy of the
chock dissipates in the cane and the cylinder fixing the wind- Outdoor smart Smart Cane with $1000.00
up system moves and charges the battery. cane high resistance to
various collisions
The mechanical system will be directly attached to the
part of the circuit that is related to the rechargeable battery.
III. COST ANALYSIS
The cost of the suggested design depends entirely on the IV. CONCLUSION
joint of the best matches in terms of components. It is very This paper dealt with RFID based tag design and smart
important to use a quality price rating to choose carefully the outdoor cane equipped with Braille system for blind
components used in the system. The choice will be also recognition system. The prototype is user-friendlyand cost-
based on the characteristics of each component. The below efficient, though its difficulty in implementation; it is seen as
table shows each component used within the system with its an outstanding improvement in the field of blind recognition
approximate cost in US Dollars. systems, thanks to its durability, user-friendliness, and cost
benefit. In addition to that, the use of Braille in the cane’s
An evaluation of the prototype in terms of usability and
grid is considered as an assistive Technology and Universal
cost benefit showed that it is an adequate mixture of
Design for learning. The future work is to implement the
components that will satisfy the user’s expectations. The
suggested system with its validation in real life applications.
projected system is user-friendly especially concerning the
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