Forum topic

Hi, my name is Ilya. I am a pupil of 8th class of Lyceum 1502 MPEI. There is a Fab Lab "Experimentarium 1502" in my school. Lessons at fab lab are included in our school plan. We learn to plan and to create different useful things, using modern equipment of fab lab. I think that modern technology, that Fab Labs provide us with, should be used to create devices, that can help disabled and aged people. As you know, blind people use canes to detect obstacles on their foot level. Therefore, I have launched the project, which can help blind people to orientate in small rooms and open places and to walk avoiding obstacles. My device is additional to the cane. And now let's move to my project. 

The construction of the device is a hat and all electronic components are in. The principe of device working is very simple.  The device measures distance to the nearest object in his visible zone and informs user about it with vibration. I use an ultrasound to measure distance and vibromotors to inform about obstacles. 

To proceed from goals to make the device's visible zone as big as it possible and also to make user's hands free, it was made a decision to make as the device's construction a hat (There is no special hat for it right now. If you want to make it, you can use your own hat). I used a classic hat, that was made from polyurethane with covering by felt. Sensors are located under the fabric inside the hat on the circumference, that comes through the imaginary forehead's line. Sensors are cut in to the fabric of the hat in it's upper part and electricity components are located inside the hat under the lining.

Device consists from 6 ultrasonic sensors, 6 vibromotors and 2 microcontrollers Arduino Pro Mini. It was made an electricity circuit and a program code, that lets to send data about distance to the obstacle to user in tactical way - Rate of vibration depends on the distance: when the distance is long - the rate of vibrating is low, when the distance is short - the rate of vibrating is high. The max range of the obstacles detecting is 3,5 meters.

The one of the ideas of my project is to make my device cheaper then the others. That's why I ordered all components from China. And the total price is about 10-15 dollars. 

My project was demonstrated in the All Russia Association of the Blind where it was tested by blind people. They liked my devices as it looks like a hat and they also liked the type of informing by vibrating. They are interested in using my device in reabelitation goals. They have advised me to add some useful changes to improve the device. I have already started to work at enhancement.

Bill of materials:

1) Ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 (6 pieces) / price per piece - 0,89$

2) Vibromotor (6 pieces) / price per piece - 0,28$

3) Arduino Pro Mini (2 pieces) / price per piece - 1,72$

4) Darlington Drive ULN2803A (1 piece) / price per piece - 0,2$

5) Wires (1 set) / price per set - 1$

6) LEDs for testing (6 pieces) / price per piece - 0,01$

7) Hat (any type with high sides) (1 piece)

Sketch of all device's electricity connections is attached down (file 1).