Electronic Assistant for Impaired People

Abstract

For people with serious visual impairments, a system is proposed that helps to identify obstacles and call for help in an emergency situation. The system is based on a microcontroller and optical, acoustic and electric sensors connected to it, as well as GPS and GSM modules. Modules interact with a person using voice communication.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 39 million people worldwide are blind and 246 million are visually impaired [1]. People with partial or complete loss of vision face many problems in their daily lives, especially the problem of movement and orientation in the field. A blind person usually uses a traditional stick to improve their mobility. However, the stick cannot provide a person with information beyond his reach. There are smart sticks that use one camera, or several video cameras mounted on the stick to capture images. Captured video images are resized, further processed and converted intoacoustic or vibration signals. In such systems, the frequency of the warning signal correlates with the pixel orientation of the camcorder.  There are also systems that use ultrasonic sensors to detect interference. The value of the distance to the obstacle, measured by a sound wave, is transmitted to the microcontroller, which sends a sound signal through the speaker. The disad vantages of such systems are the inability to detect hidden obstacles that are dangerous to the visually impaired, such as stairs, pits, puddles, and so on. The proposed system solves these problems by combining the capabilities of acoustic and optical sensors, as well as a water sensor. Support for a person in a difficult situation is also provided by establishing a telephone connection with a trustee. The GPS location information is received by the GPS module and the microcontroller sends this information via the GSM module to the specified contact number. The system consists of a microcontroller (control of the electronic assistant), a sensor system that receives information about the location of a person and obstacles in its path, an effector system that sends a person acoustic and vibration signals about detected obstacles, as well as a communication system. connects: 1) two ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles located in front at knee height and at head height; 2) infrared sensor to detect stairs and terrain; 3) water sensor to detect puddles. The sensors collect data in real time and send it to the microcontroller for processing. After processing the sensory information, the microcontroller sends vibrations and acoustic signals to the person, respectively, on the vibrators installed in the stick head, and on the Bluetooth headset. The system is powered by a recessed battery (not shown).  This article proposes a system that helps a visually impaired person to reach their destination safely. The system uses a variety of sensors to detect interference and warn of interference with an audible signal and vibration. The intensity of the sound signal and vibration increase when a person approaches an obstacle. The GPS module tracks the user's location. In case of a dangerous situation, the GSM / GPRS module establishes a connection between a blind person and a trustee. 

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Copyright (c) 2026 Андрій Андрійович Пахомов, Роман Петрович Саган (Автор)