A Detachable Electronic Device for Use With a Long White Cane to Assist With Mobility

Abstract

Vision-impaired individuals often use a long white cane to assist them with gathering information about their surroundings. However, these aids are generally not used to detect obstacles above knee height. The purpose of this study is to determine whether a low-cost, custom-built electronic device clipped onto a traditional cane can provide adequate vibratory warning to the user of obstacles above knee height. Sixteen normally sighted blindfolded individuals participated in two mobility courses which they navigated using a normal white cane and a white cane with the electronic device attached. Of the 16 participants, 10 hit fewer obstacles, and 12 covered less ground with the cane when the electronic device was attached. Ten participants found navigating with the electronic device easier than just the white cane alone. However, the time taken on the mobility courses, the number of collisions with obstacles, and the area covered by participants using the electronic device were not significantly different (p > 0.05). A larger sample size is required to determine if the trends found have real significance. It is anticipated that additional information provided by this electronic device about the surroundings would allow users to move more confidently within their environment.

Are electronic white canes better than traditional canes? A comparative study with blind and blindfolded participants

“…Therefore, the results for walking speed, which also agree with observations made by O'Brien et al [42], seem to confirm hypothesis 1, namely that blindfolding non-visually impaired participants is an inaccurate substitute for blind participants in white cane experiments. Results obtained with non-visually impaired users will not necessarily generalize to visually impaired users.…”

“…Based on these results, which also agree with observations by O'Brien et al [42], we can only partially accept hypothesis 2, namely that electronic canes with additional obstacle cues lead to improved performance over traditional passive white canes, as the only observed benefit were the ability to detect hanging obstacles which cannot be detected by the white canes. In terms of ground obstacles, hypothesis 2 is rejected.…”

“…Wang and Kuchenbecker [40] evaluated their HALO system on low hanging obstacles with 12 blindfolded participants, while Pyun et al [41] employed 5 blindfolded participants. O'Brien et al [42] evaluated a low-cost device that could be attached to an existing white cane with 16 blindfolded participants. Of these, 10 participants successfully detected more obstacles with the electric cane than the white cane, while 12 participants yielded slower walking speeds with the electronic cane.…”

Effect of cane length and swing arc width on drop-off and obstacle detection with the long cane

“…Most of the tested devices have been designed to be used as a secondary device, complementing a traditional long cane as an attachment to the long cane (Gallo et al, 2010; S. Kim & Cho, 2013; O’Brien, Mohtar, Diment, & Reynolds, 2014; Pyun, Kim, Wespe, Schneller, & Gassert, 2013; Tahat, 2009; Wang & Kuchenbecher, 2012). The majority of these studies reported a moderate improvement in object detection rate, largely as a result of detecting above-waist-level overhanging obstacles, which the traditional long cane is inherently unable to detect.…”

Dispositivos de asistencia para la movilidad en personas con discapacidad visual: una revisión bibliográfica

“…Esta situación generará una carga social, económica y cultural de alcance universal, con énfasis en los países de ingresos medianos y bajos [1]. Aunque existen ayudas para mejorar la visión residual en personas con discapacidad visual leve a moderada, estas no sirven para personas con discapacidad visual severa a profunda (DVS, DVP) o con ceguera, las cuales necesitan desarrollar habilidades que sustituyan la visión [4]. Para ellas el logro de la independencia en actividades básicas e instrumentales de la vida diaria es más difícil, teniendo en cuenta que puede coexistir otro tipo de discapacidades que limitan aún más este proceso.…”