People who are visually impaired or face complete blindness or low vision often have a difficult time self-navigating
outside well-known environments.Physical movement is one of the biggest challenge.

Develop a proximity sensor technology platform using programmable IC and other technological devices to achieve it’s
mission.

Sensor technology platform will assist visually impaired & blind community navigate their environment freely &
independently in various social activities (e.g. swimming,running & or walking).

Leveraging available lab resources to develop prototype using any suitable development board or programmable IC (e.g.
Arduino, Intel Curie, Intel Joule, Intel Edison etc.)

This technology platform will provides sensory input to compensate for visual impairment. Input compensation will come
by means of audible feedback in the form of tone, buzzing, voice and or tactile vibration. The tone or voice will be
funneled to a user's headset using Bluetooth technology embedded into a proximity sensor platform or device. The
device will behave as an ultrasonic sensor range finder that detects objects in the proximity of the user, allowing the
user to self-navigate effectively and safely. The device can be programmed to detect objects from various distances,
allowing sufficient time for the user to take corrective action. Enhancements maybe voice capability, GPS navigation,
activity data (speed, distance covered, heart rate etc.) and ultimately object identification.
Currently, a proof of
concept has been developed for basic demo using various electronic components including Arduino Uno R3 Microcontroller
A000066, DHT11 Digital Humidity Temperature Sensor/Arduino DIYVLSI, HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Range Detector Mod Distance
Sensor (Blue) and Piezo Buzzer for confirming object detection and distance. The ultimate goal from circuit design
perspective, is to translate these VLSI components into ASICs or IC chip that can be embedded into various application
materials as a wearable product.