Range Finder for People With Visual Impairments
By Koch, Brian J.; Krupski, Roger; Mollendorf, Joseph C.; NSF 2007 Engineering Senior Design Projects to Aid Persons With Disabilities, pp. 176-177Publication Date: 2010
Description of a handheld audible device designed to aid navigation and obstacle avoidance for people with visual impairments. Designed by engineering students at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the device comprises an electrostatic transducer encased in a flashlight casing, mounted through a hole in the flashlight’s plastic lens. A sonar ranging module is secured in the front part of the case. Wires in a cable carrying power to the module and a signal from the module to an external controller run out the back of the case. A plug attached at the end of the cable allows the handheld component to be disconnected. The controller board is mounted inside a wearable external enclosure to which a volume control, a toggle switch, and connections to the module and the power source were attached. The power source for the prototype is four AAA lithium batteries which allow the system to run for 19 hours. The final component is headphones which emit a tone based on distance. The pitch of the tone is determined by the controller board, and any stereo headphones can be used. The code for the range finder is programmed into the controller and adjusted to give the desired range, for a minimum of 1 ½ feet and a maximum set at 13 feet.
Published by: Creative Learning Press, Inc. (Website:http://www.creativelearningpress.com)
Link to text: http://nsf-pad.bme.uconn.edu/2007/Chapter11,SUNY%20Buffalo.pdf
ISBN: 1-931280-12-6
