Needs assesment

• Basic overview of the solution concept:

  • Fanny pack with large, thick plastic buckle (tactile, easy to use). Housed in the bottom of the fanny pack is an arduino and battery. Around the belt, there are sensors placed on the left, right, and back. These sensors also have a small motor attached to them. When a person or thing comes within a certain distance, the motor vibrates. The device can be paired to an app to turn the sensors on or off, as well as adjusting the range of the sensors. 

• Who is this for?

  • This device would be for people who are blind or visually impaired who have trouble navigating their surroundings with just a cane. This device is not to be used as the sole solution for anyone with these issues, but as a supplementary device to increase their spatial awareness.

• Where would it be used?

  • This device would most likely be used in outdoor environments, but moreso any location that the user would not be familiar with or that does not have a fixed setup. An apartment for one would not be a likely location of use, as the person would know where all of the potentially obstructive objects are located, but in a public space like a sidewalk or the inside of a building are more likely to see the device in use, as the layout of objects in the street or people moving around is not fixed and not predictable, and would require a sensor to detect.

• How does it work? When would it be used?

  • Using light sensors, the belt would be able to detect objects on the sides of the individual wearing it. This will allow them to not bump into people while, for example, walking in large crowds. It will be able to give the likelihood of running into objects by giving a variety of different magnitudes of vibrations. As the objects surrounding the user get closer, the belt will vibrate more and more,  and vice versa.  Although there are only four sides that will be vibrating, the belt can make use of multiple sensors at the same time to indicate different directions. For example, an object approaching the user from the front and to the right will activate the front and right sensors, letting the user know precisely what direction they need to avoid.

  • Of course, the product would be able to be customized to the user’s needs, allowing for multiple levels of vibrations and varying levels of range that the sensors can detect. Furthermore, the product can be turned off with a button in situations where the user may not wish to use it.

• What are the expected results?

  • People with vision impairments could use our device as a supplement to other position detection products such as a cane. The product would assist people with blindness in avoiding hazards that their primary detection could not pick up (such as objects behind them, to the side, or above the torso). Since this device would be a supplementary device we would want to keep costs down so that it could be easily accessible for those with this disability. The main result of our project is to make life for people with vision problems safer at a low cost as well as increase confidence in traveling alone.

• What is the cost breakdown? (using price estimations through AliExpress) 

  • Basic textile materials for belt/pack: ~$5

  • Battery: ~$4

  • Motion Sensors (x3): $1 each

  • Motor (x3): $1 each

  • Total Cost of Materials: ~$15 per belt/pack

  • Labor Cost: $5 per belt

Need of creation and problem solving is based around concepts of improving safety and quality of life, trying and utilizing new advances in technology and science, and making improvements to an existing design that can better serve the client base while potentially making it simpler or cheaper.

A computer or electrical engineer would likely see justifiable reasons to contribute to a problem solving effort in situations where there are parts in electronic software or hardware that are actively faulty, like bugs in the code or a blown out resistor. Larger needs might be things like enhancements in a new language justifying switching a system to it or redoing a project in this language, such as those that have switched from Java to JavaScript. Redesigns in CPU architecture, such as AMD switching from a 7 nm process to a 5 nm in the jump between Zen 2 and Zen 3 generations give justifiable reasons for engineers working on more integrated systems, like laptops and mobile devices to make the switch (especially with the better performance per watt).