Help with an ultrasonic rangefinder for blind people

[Shreyas Kannan]

So, i'm planning to make a device which uses sonar to detect knee-high obstacles when walking. If an obstacle is detected, a voice command is sent to the user so that they can avoid the obstacle (or i may use beeps). I have read many electronics books and am well versed in the electronic components but i just don't know how to do this project. I know i need a raspberry pi and an ultrasonic rangefinder but that's about it. I don't know what do, how to connect the stuff and how to write a program. I have searched online for a clear explanation of how to assemble electronics but there is nothing. I seriously need help!

 

[(*steve*)]

there are plenty of examples of arduino projects using the common ultrasonic rangefinder modules. You'd probably be best off mounting the device at knee height (on a knee?) and consider haptic feedback.

 

[BobK]

Why do you think you need a Raspberry Pi? Are other microntrollers or embedded computers not capable of doing this? In fact, it can be done even without a microcontroller, though I would use one myself.

Bob

 

[hevans1944]

You might want to visit this Google page to see how others have approached this problem. The simplest solution is the red-painted "stick" that the blind often use to detect obstacles by swinging the rod back and forth in short arcs in a horizontal plane. No batteries required.

But if you really want something more useful than a stick, a high-tech solution is a CCD camera whose pixels modulate a vibrating pin array attached to the blind person's back. Take a look at this Google page for some ideas.

Some blind people carry a mechanical "clicker" which they use to create a short pulse of sound that their highly trained ears use to locate obstacles. Others simply make clicking noises with their teeth and tongue. And some even use ambient sounds for echo location. My wife tells me of a young blind man who plays basketball by using echo location from the dribbled ball!

 

[73's de Edd]

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Shreyas Kannan . . . . . . .


Quite a formidable task . . . .for the unitiated . . .here is what you are up against . . . in needing good lateral coverage.

http://grathio.com/2011/08/meet-the-tacit-project-its-sonar-for-the-blind/

http://www.kerrywong.com/2011/01/22/a-sensitive-diy-ultrasonic-range-sensor/

73's de Edd



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[Shreyas Kannan]

thankyou all. You guys are a very big help