Assistance Stick for Visually Impaired

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 09 Issue: 06 | June 2022 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
© 2022, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.529 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 2533
Assistance Stick for Visually Impaired
Ayush Saini*, Ali Majaz*, Nikhil Kumar*, Manik Choudhary*, Sulekha Saxena**
Ghaziabad
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ABSTRACT
This device is an innovative stick designed for visually disabled people for improved navigation. This project proposes an
advanced blind stick that allows visually challenged people to navigate with ease. The blind stick is integrated with ultrasonic
sensor, fire sensor, water sensor and LDR and they are coupled with Arduino Uno R3 for processing proposes, and since the
Arduino cannot produce sound output directly, APR9600 IC being used for providing sound output. It also contains a GPS &
GSM module for location identification in emergency situations. This device will be a helpful solution to overcome their
difficulties.
Keywords - Arduino UNO R3, Assistance Stick, GPS, GSM, Sensors, Visually Impaired
• INTRODUCTION
Blindness is a common disability among the population of the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)
285 million people are visually impaired worldwide, 39 million are blind and 246 have low vision. About 90% of the world’s
visually impaired live in developing countries. They need assistance to navigate outside and all other daily essential chores.
So, the paper demonstrates a system that tries to remove the problem of blindness and make them self- dependent to do their
daily chores, it is a walking stick, that is convenient to use by the visually impaired people. It is easy to maintain, affordable
and it is very comfortable to use and provides user with a host of safety features and voice-based alerts for individual
scenario. The power consumption is low and can be operated easily; overall the stick has greater functional features over the
conventional one. The proposed device is a stick that consists of a circuit board that contains Arduino Uno R3, variety of
sensors (Ultrasonic, Fire, LDR, and Water) [1], Speaker for alert, and GPS & GSM module for identification of the user location
in case of emergency. The entire project is designed using Arduino Uno based upon its reliability. Arduino is a microcontroller
which can do all the processing with great accuracy. Ultrasonic sensor is used to detect the object in front of the person by
measuring the distance between the object and the stick. Fire sensor is used to detect any kind of sudden temperature change
in the environment and if temperature rises above a predefined level, it alerts the person using the speaker. LDR is placed
basically for the night purpose, if the person goes outside at night, it detects the vehicle’s headlight and alerts the person.
Water sensor is used to detect the wet surfaces, potholes while the person is walking, and generates a voice alert so that user
can take precaution. GPS & GSM module is used to send the person's live GPS coordinate to the family members. It is operated
by the user by pressing a SOS button if the user is in any kind of hazardous situation.[3]
• LITERATURE REVIEW
Blind рeорle use а саne fоr they hаve соntасt with the envirоnment, but this саne dоesn't give аll suitаble infоrmаtiоn
аbоut the surrоunding оbjeсt; we саn imрlement ultrаsоniс sensоrs аnd infоrm users by аudiо signаls in the саne mаde it
effeсtive [1] Fоr visuаlly сhаllenged рeорle dоing their rоutines wоuld be the tоughest thing. Tо mаke it finer, а trаditiоnаl
саne is соnverted intо аn аssistive саne by рenetrаting аn infrаred sensоr аnd Аrduinо UNО tо it [2]. This system inсludes аn
embedded e-SОS (eleсtrоniс Sаve Оur Sоuls) system with аn ultrаsоniс sensоr аnd Аrduinо UNО.It wоrks bаsed оn аndrоid
аррliсаtiоn [3]. СMР соmраss sensоr 511 is used tо give infоrmаtiоn аbоut the direсtiоn оf wind flоw. The оutрut is sent аs the
sоund, аnd the buzzer асtivаtes within the rаnge оf 3сm-150сm when the оbstасle is deteсted with а sрeed оf 0.3 seс [4].This
mоdel соmbines the three sensors Ultrаsоniс sensоr, а Fоrсe sensоr аnd а рressure sensоr. The fоrсe sensоr is аttасhed tо the
individuаl shоe, meаsuring the distаnсe between the stiсk аnd shоe. The рressure sensоr helрs tо wаlk the individuаl if the
*Student, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, IMS Engineering College, Ghaziabad
** Assistant Professor Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, IMS Engineering College,

individuаl lоst the griр оn the stiсk hаndle. This triо mаkes the stiсk intо аn аssistive оne [5].It is hard to live a life with
disabilities. To make blind people smart, so we are implementing so many sensors, which makes it a smart stick, which gives
alarm when the user faces any obstacle and gives the audio command through speakers connect-ed by Bluetooth [6].
Travelling from one place to another place is hard for visually challenged people. They will face so many obstacles, stairs and
so many crack s etc. IoT paradigm provides a medium between blind and environment. With the help of several sensors [7]. А
Survey оf Vоiсe Аided Eleсtrоniс Stiсk fоr Visuаlly Imраired Рeорle. we gоt ideа аbоut lаtest teсhnоlоgy like Grарhiсs
Роsitiоning System (GРS) & Grарhiсs System Messаging (GSM). Whiсh will helр fоr trасking the lосаtiоn & used fоr mаking
mоdule оf smаrt stiсk fоr visuаlly imраired рeорle аnd it gives us ideа аbоut Vоiсe messаge get frоm Аndrоid Рhоne tо thаt
blind рersоn [8] Blind Nаvigаtiоn System Using Imаge Рrосessing аnd Embedded System . We gоt ideа frоm this рарer fоr
Nаvigаtiоn system hаs been develорed whiсh helр tо enhаnсe mоbility оf blindness. This рарer gives us ideа fоr сарturing live
videо оf thаt рersоn & grаb videо feed in frоnt оf blind рersоn & this live videо саn be оbserve byаdmin itself. [9] Smаrt Саne:
Аssistive Саne fоr Visuаlly-imраiredРeорle. We gоt ideа frоm this рарer fоr Vоiсe messаge & Vibrаtiоn when рersоn deteсt
оbstасle with helр оf smаrt stiсk then blind рersоn get аwаre tо it by understаnding Vibrаtiоn аlert & Vоiсe messаge whiсh
соmes frоm smart рhоne. [10] Eleсtrоniс Раth Guidаnсe fоr Visuаlly Imраired Рeорle Frоm this рарer we gоt ideа аbоut the
hоw rаnge whiсh is required fоr deteсting оbstасle оr оbjeсt frоm lосаtiоn оf smаrt stiсk sрeсifiс rаnge is their we need tо set
threshоld vаlue if оbstасle соmes intо thаt threshоld rаnge then it саn deteсt suссessfully оtherwise саnnоt. [11] Use оf
Ultrаsоniс Sensоrs in the Develорment оf аn Eleсtrоniс Trаvel Аid so implementation and limitation of ultrasonic sensor. [12]
Аutоmаted Mоbility & Оrientаtiоn System fоr Blind оr Раrtiаlly Sighted рeорle Frоm this рарer we gоt ideа аbоut GSM, GРS оf
sensоr like Integrаted Ultrаsоniс sensоr, Ассelerоmeter sensоr & IR sensоr. Whiсh оne is mоre suitаble & hоw they аre
рerfоrm & hоw they deteсt оbstасle. [13] This paper is about providing a compatible solution for visually impaired people and
help them to walk independently and confidently. The hardware elements included are Raspberry pi micro controller, obstacle
detecting sensors, GPS module, speakers and other connecting components.[14] The smart walking stick helps blind people to
perform navigation and to do their work easily and comfortably. In readily available devices the functionalities are not
comprehensive. The device uses ultrasonic sensors to measure distance between objects. If any obstacle comes in front of
blind person, he/she can know about the obstacle by hearing the sound generated by the head phone.[15]
• METHODOLOGY
We have tried to integrated a host of different features as discussed below.
• ULTRASONIC SENSOR
An ultrasonic sensor uses sound to perform a measurement. If an object (or in our example an ultrasonic sensor) produces
sound, air molecules are pressed against each other and the energy move through the air particles. The distance between crest
and trough of wave called frequency and is expressed in Hertz (Hz). The human ear is capable of perceiving sound frequencies
from 20 Hz and 20 kHz. All frequencies from 20 kHz up to 800 MHz (800 million Hertz) are called ultrasonic sound and are not
perceivable by the human ear. An ultrasonic sensor emits a sound pulse within the ultrasonic range, this sound pulse
propagates at the speed of sound through air up to the moment of collision with a object. The reflected sound is then received
by the sensor. By measuring the time, it takes for the sound to travel from sensor to object and back to the sensor, the distance
to the object can be calculated very accurately. Fig 1 shows the ultrasonic sensor. [5]
Fig 1: ultrasonics sensor
• FIRE DETECTION SENSOR
A fire detection sensor can detect the light from the fire. It is based on the wavelength mechanism. The fire sensor
responds to the wavelength by sensing it. Receiver of the sensor uses the (EM) electromagnetic radiation principle. It absorbs
the radiation from the fire and responds to it. Fire sensor operation is accurate and quick compared to smoke sensors. You can
detect Light from fire up to a distance of 60cm. Fire detection sensors usually have negative temperature coefficients which
means that the resistance of the sensor decreases as the temperature increases and the speaker is used for giving the output. If
the sensor detects the heat radiation it will send an electrical signal to the Arduino and thus voice alert will be generated. A
photodiode is used to detect presence of fire. In the ambient light, it passes only 0.84v through it to the Emitter of the PNP
transistor. When more light strikes photodiode it conducts larger amount of current. As shown in Fig 2 [8]

Fig 2: fire sensor
• GPS AND GSM MODULE:
The GPS and GSM based location tracking system helps to send SOS messages and track the blind person’s location in case
of emergency. By pressing the SOS button, the emergency message will be sent to the friend or family member of the person
holding the stick along with live GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude).
The GPS module helps to pinpoint the exact location of the blind person and the GSM/GPRS module will be used to send
the SMS along with the location to the emergency contact number. Arduino Uno R3 is used to process all the components and
data. As shown in below figure.
Fig 3: GPS & GSM modules
It contains several components listed below:
• NEO-6M GPS Module
• SIM900A GSM/GPRS MODULE
• WATER SENSOR
Water sensor in this device is used to alert the user regarding the presence of water in the vicinity or potholes. The
industrial water level sensors are expensive and require larger power supply to operate, so this project comes with an
alternative to this problem by using a solution that works on short circuit concept. Two thin metal plates which are connected
to the circuit and when the metal plates come in contact with water the circuit gets complete thus current flow initiates so the
alert Is generated by the voice module present on the device. [12]

• LDR SENSOR
LDR Sensor is integrated in this device to solve the problem of identifying approaching car in the night. So LDR (light
dependent resistor) basically passes a low voltage current in the dark but when a high intensity beam of light such as
headlight of a car shines on it, this causes the device to pass larger voltages, which can trigger an alert. LDR is connected to
analog pin of Arduino since Arduino contains ADC (analog to digital converter) so it converts the analog voltage to digital
values which further generates the sound alert with the help of APR 9600 IC.[8]
• BLOCK DIAGRAM
Fig 4: block diagram of main circuit
From the above displayed block diagram, the basic of the device working can be seen. We have Arduino Uno r3 as the
processing component of this device along with it can be observed that we have a power supply circuit for providing regulated
power to the circuit. The device also has a voice playback module to provide voice-based alerts to the users. The device has a
host of sensors such as ultrasonic, fire, water, LDR sensors for providing alerts based on different scenario. As shown in Fig 4.
Fig 5: block diagram of GPS and GSM functionality
The device also has GPS and GSM functionality to alerts family members in case emergencies. The circuit has a Arduino
Uno R3 as a processing component. A GPS and GSM boards. A power supply for regulating power delivery and a SOS button for
sending alerts. As shown in Fig 5

• EXPERIMENTAL SETUP
Fig 6: circuit of APR9600 IC
The sensors provide feedback to Arduino but the Arduino is incapable of generating sound output directly. So, the device
uses APR9600 IC along with 4 switches for independent sensors which correspond to unique alert for each sensor. So, when
Arduino receives feedback from a particular sensor it sends the signal to APR9600 to activate the corresponding switches
which generates the sound output for that particular sensor.
Fig 7: final device

• RESULT AND CONCLUSION
Every individual in the world has to lead their life comfortably. But, some of them lack their activities due to their
disability. They overcome this with the usage of technology. This device proposed an idea that everyone can lead their life
independently. This device makes every blind individual do their routines by themselves. They can be able to go to their
destinations easily by using this device. The smart stick is lightweight, portable to use, affordable in terms of cost, and an
ecofriendly device. This device is very effective and unique among all the implementation of smart guidance devices. It covers
180 degrees of an individual, senses each obstacle and hazard situation, and provides an immediate response to the individual.
In addition to it, it has some special sensors which guide and protect from accidents. In case of any emergency the person can
press the SOS button and with the help of GPS and GSM modules the emergency message will get generated and will be
forwarded to the family members of the person.
As a result of our efforts in exploring this opportunity to work on something that will make life easy of the visually
impaired. We have made a device that is capable of successfully guiding a visually impaired person in any surrounding and the
user can rely on the feedback of the device because of the durable components used in the setup.
Due to the use of off the shelf components the range of this device is not as much that was expected but it can be improve
with the help of advanced technology. Same goes for the size of this device. Overall, this Assistance Stick for Visually impaired
proposed the concept of self-dependency and we believe that the advancement in technology in the upcoming years will
further enhance the properties and range of this device.
As for the concern about finding the SOS button it is provided at grip of the stick where the natural position should be.
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