Proposal

Idea proposal – ultrasonic wearable tech:

Idea 3: Ultrasonic distance monitor as wearable tech:

The idea being an ultrasonic sensor that will alert the user and potentially somebody else through an app of movement within an area, this would be through wearable tech so that the sensor could pick up on an object in front of the user’s immediate area.

I could see this having an impact in wearable tech in the life of somebody partially sighted as it would be set a small distance in front of a baseball cap say approximately 8cm so that it would beep if they are about to bump into something at head height, this is because canes generally provided only cover a small area in front of the user but does not extend high enough to stop the user potentially bumping their head.

This will be done primarily by using an ultrasonic sensor with a attachable power source so that the item could be worn and set to a distance where it would aid the user but not go off constantly by people walking past as it could eventually get annoying for the user and those around them.

This is a rough sketch of the design implemented onto a baseball cap that could be worn by somebody possibly partially sighted to allow them comfort and safety at head height combined with a cane they might already use to keep them safe and more confident when out and about.

This would be created on an Arduino board with a power source and a ultrasonic sensor which would be set to go off at a certain radius, This could also be set to possibly set off different tones or beeping frequency depending on the distance of the object in front. This however needs to be designed with the comfort of the user in mind and I plan on doing this by making the item functional and not needing attention of the users but not being to overbearing.

The board and sensors needed generally come together in a package as does the power supply so this is a very cost effective design and allow for me to create this wearable tech at a relatively low cost to myself, and for any potential users.

The device can be encoded entirely using the Arduino IDE so I could alter parameters though testing and trial and error to get the best maximum output and make sure it is suitable for use without too much effort of the user, this would be an ideal situation for the target audience as they may not be able to see to know what might need changing.

This item can be tested and given real world trials as I could wear and test it myself without any risk of harm and I could also get feedback from a few people who suffer form partial and full blindness and see how I could tailor the item to match needs and see how they handle it.

The item does have a few strengths and weaknesses, I think the biggest strength is how easy it would be to incorporate into clothing like a hat or even wearable on a shirt with a pocket which would give the user lots of options, I think however the biggest weakness would be the fact that it currently cannot determine between an object that may be in the way of the wearer such as an open cupboard or a sign and a person walking by, the way that I have planned to combat this however is to limit distance of the sensor so that it can detect an object on collision and give enough time for the wearer to react but also not be too long ranged that it will be constantly set off and potentially annoy the wearer and those around them.

I feel this item has a couple of real world applications such as collision avoidance for the partially sighted and a security assistance device for those in security roles to know if somebody is approaching them from behind as the device would just need to be given a longer range and set to go behind the wearer instead of in front of them. The biggest area I am aiming for however is for a collision avoidance system for the partially sighted as I will demonstrate below.

The average cane is generally 60 – 120 centimetres long and does a good job of alerting a partially sighted person to foot to upper body level collisions and changes of height, it does not however alert them to low hanging objects or open cupboard doors etc unless they were to hold the stick above their head which would be dangerous to them and others. By wearing a sensor at head level it will alert them to an incommoding collisions and will not affect day to day life but can possibly improve it. By incorporating this technology it will give the wearer an extra level of safety and piece of mind. And will not require a set up on their end so they can just pick it up and go.