Assistente ultrassônico para deficientes visuais

Abstract

Visually impaired people make up a large part of the world's population and in response to this, several researchers have been developing technologies to aid them. Since the emergence of electronics, equipment of various levels of complexity have become fundamental items in the daily lives of such people. The prototype created aims to detect objects through ultrasonic sensors, similarly to what is done in mobile robotics, and alert the user to the presence of an obstacle through vibration motors, not compromising the hearing, which is quite usual to see in other projects, as it is a very important sense to the blind people’s commute. The operating logic refers to the parking sensors present in vehicles, which are based on the relationship between the distance of the obstacle and the intensity of the alert that is noticed by the user, it means that the vibration amplitude is proportionally inverted to the distance of the obstacle. Aiming a better usability and practicality, it was made to be worn on the head and its structure could be attached to an accessory, such as a hat, for example, leaving the user’s hands free to enjoy other methods of obstacle detection. To control the peripherals, two microcontrollers were used, which are responsible for handling the signals related to the sensors and controlling the vibration motors. During the test session, it was noticeable that the device, despite being low budget, turned out to be highly efficient in outdoor environments, where there is no echo. In indoor or more closed environments, some misread might happen. The prototype, since the beginning of its development, was thought out to detect obstacles at head height, but, as the sensors have an angle of detection, the device proved to be able to detect lower obstacles, although it is not that efficient in these situations.