Intelligent White Cane for Visually Impaired People Based on an Ultrasonic Sensor

This article describes the development of a device adaptable to a white cane for guidance and mobility of visually impaired people. The proposal consists of an economical, portable, easy-to-maintain, and non-invasive device designed with a microcontroller which receives and processes signals obtained from an ultrasonic sensor. Similarly, it alerts obstacles’ distances to the user based on ultrasonic measurements. The device is a compact prototype which is adapted to the handle of the white cane and can be removed for a comfortable transportation. The principle of operation is based on the detection of aerial obstacles that represent a threat for the user mobility. The ultrasonic sensor sends the signal to the microcontroller which generates output alerts and transmitted to the user by stimuli which are auditory or haptic. These signals respond to an algorithm implemented in the controller. The device has been designed not to interfere with the user's senses and has been programmed including different alert modes allowing user adaptation. The algorithm has been developed in a C-based programming language, and for the validation of the development, tests have been performed with visually impaired persons to verify the fulfillment of the proposed objectives in this research.