Bicycle for the Visually Impaired
By Hale, Ashley; Car, Emily; RESNA 2012 Student Design Competition,Publication Date: June 13, 2012
Paper describes the development of a tricycle for a child with visual impairment. The basis of the vehicle is a child’s tricycle with adjustable length to allow for the user’s growth. The trike is equipped with sensors and buzzers that detect oncoming obstacles and notify the rider which way to turn to avoid them. Three 15-degree sensors are positioned on the trike to gather information for a 45 degree radius in front of the rider. Two buzzers mounted on each of the rear fenders are used to alert the rider of an upcoming object. The buzzers produce different frequency sounds to allow the rider to better distinguish between right and left. The sensors send out a signal and then time how long it takes it to bounce off an object and come back; based on the timing, the distance to the object can be determined. This measurement is sent to an Arduino microcontroller, where it is input into an algorithm used to determine when to send an output signal to the buzzers. It also determines which buzzer should beep based on which sensor transmits distance data. If the center sensor detects an obstacle, both buzzers will go off. The tricycle was about 80 percent effective at successfully navigating through an obstacle course without hitting anything while operated by a person with low vision. The trike was designed by engineering students at the University of New Hampshire. The article includes a video outlining the development of the invention.
Published by: Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Website:http://www.resna.org)
Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) (Web Site: http://www.resna.org )
Link to text: http://aac-rerc.psu.edu/wordpressmu/RESNA-SDC/2012/06/13/bicycle-for-the-visually-impaired-university-of-new-hampshire/
Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=NKp6tj7MZsk
