Wearable Haptic Device as Mobility Aid for Blind People: Electronic Cane - Wearable Device for Mobility of Blind People

Abstract

The conventional long cane, largely used for mobility of visually impaired people, presents some limitations, such as the short-range detection of obstacles and the inability to protect against head-level obstacles. The purpose of this study was to develop and test a wearable haptic interface system attachable to a long cane in order to detect obstacles and provide notification to the user.

Assistive Technology for Visually Impaired Individuals: A Systematic Literature Review (SLR)

“…Out of these 7 articles, a total of 4 articles have stated that the use of walking sticks modified according to technology to improve the navigation process among visually impaired individuals. The use of Eye cane and Electronic Cane improves barrier detection and navigation abilities among visually impaired individuals (Buchs et al, 2017;Texeira et al, 2023). Similar results were recorded in studies conducted by (Mehta et al, 2017;Velazques et al, 2018).…”

“…It is reported that 88% of visually impaired individuals regularly experience accidents during their lifetime due to white walking sticks defaults and guide dogs failing to warn and signal to visually impaired individuals (Manduchi & Kurniawan, 2011). Thus, mobility technologies designed and developed for the mobility of visually impaired individuals help them in detecting and avoiding obstacles (Buchs et al, 2017;Texeira et al, 2023). The use of Smart Glove and TicTalk (touch map) can also help the movement of visually impaired individuals (Rozali et al, 2021;Minhat et al, 2020).…”

“…Assistive technology is a method that helps people with disabilities to facilitate their daily lifestyle. Assistive technologies are also used in the recovery process to improve the functionality of limbs disturbed with disabilities while improving the quality of life of these people (Texeira et al, 2023). Assistive technology of visually impaired individuals refers to the devices created to help them identify their position, direction and provide assistance while doing activities inside or outside the premises (Madake et al, 2023).…”