An RGB-D Camera-Based Wearable Device for Visually Impaired People: Enhanced Navigation with Reduced Social Stigma

This paper presents an intelligent navigation wearable device for visually impaired individuals. The system aims to improve their independent travel capabilities and reduce the negative emotional impacts associated with visible disability indicators in travel tools. It employs an RGB-D camera and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensor to facilitate real-time obstacle detection and recognition via advanced point cloud processing and YOLO-based target recognition techniques. An integrated intelligent interaction module identifies the core obstacle from the detected obstacles and translates this information into multidimensional auxiliary guidance. Users receive haptic feedback to navigate obstacles, indicating directional turns and distances, while auditory prompts convey the identity and distance of obstacles, enhancing spatial awareness. The intuitive vibrational guidance significantly enhances safety during obstacle avoidance, and the voice instructions promote a better understanding of the surrounding environment. The device adopts an arm-mounted design, departing from the traditional cane structure that reinforces disability labeling and social stigma. This lightweight mechanical design prioritizes user comfort and mobility, making it more user-friendly than traditional stick-type aids. Experimental results demonstrate that this system outperforms traditional white canes and ultrasonic devices in reducing collision rates, particularly for mid-air obstacles, thereby significantly improving safety in dynamic environments. Furthermore, the system’s ability to vocalize obstacle identities and distances in advance enhances spatial perception and interaction with the environment. By eliminating the cane structure, this innovative wearable design effectively minimizes social stigma, empowering visually impaired individuals to travel independently with increased confidence, ultimately contributing to an improved quality of life.