Step-Detection-Controlled Robot Dog Guide for Visually Impaired Pedestrians

The integration of assistive technologies into the daily lives of visually impaired individuals shows significant promise for enhancing mobility and independence. This paper introduces a novel assistive device: a step-detection-controlled robot dog guide for visually impaired pedestrians. Utilizing a smartphone’s accelerometer, the device detects the user’s walking steps and synchronizes its movement with the user’s pace through real-time data transmission, thereby ensuring an adaptive and responsive navigation aid. To achieve reliable step detection, we employ a threshold-based algorithm enhanced by peak detection techniques. This approach enables the robot to accurately match the walking speed and pattern of the user. The smartphone and the robot are able to communicate seamlessly using Bluetooth technology. This enables the user to control the robot’s start, stop, and maneuvering functions in response to their movements and commands. Extensive preliminary tests conducted in a laboratory environment demonstrate the robot’s capability to effectively detect and adapt to changes in the user’s pace while navigating typical urban obstacles. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the step-detection-controlled robot dog significantly aids visually impaired pedestrians in navigating complex environments. This research opens promising avenues for future developments in robotic assistance, underscoring the potential for broader applications and enhancements.