Enhanced Blind Navigation using YOLO and Sensor Fusion

Blind navigation remains a significant challenge for visually impaired individuals, particularly in complex and dynamic environments such as crowded streets, public transport, and indoor spaces. Traditional mobility aids like canes and guide dogs offer assistance but have limitations in detecting fast-moving obstacles or recognizing objects beyond immediate reach. With advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and sensor technologies, there is an opportunity to develop smarter, real-time navigation solutions that enhance mobility and independence for visually impaired individuals. Blind navigation is a critical challenge for visually impaired individuals, requiring accurate and real-time obstacle detection to ensure safe mobility. This paper presents an advanced assistive system integrating the You Only Look Once (YOLO) object detection model with ultrasonic sensors and voice feedback for efficient blind navigation. Our approach enhances object detection accuracy and provides real-time obstacle warnings. Experiments demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in detecting objects at varying distances and guiding users safely in dynamic environments. By integrating AI-driven object detection with sensor-based obstacle detection, this assistive technology aims to empower visually impaired individuals with greater autonomy and safety in their navigation, bridging the gap between traditional mobility aids and modern intelligent systems.