SMART IOT NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS: IMPROVING SAFETY AND INDEPENDENCE WITH ADVANCED OBSTACLE DETECTION

Visually impaired individuals often face significant challenges in their daily lives, frequently relying on others for assistance and feeling less confident in unfamiliar environments. This paper presents an innovative IoT-based system designed to address these issues by aiding in obstacle and water puddle detection. The system comprises a walking stick integrated with an ESP32 microcontroller, an ultrasound sensor, and a smart phone application. The walking stick collects environmental data through the ultrasound sensor, which the ESP32 processes to identify obstacles. Communication between the microcontroller and the smart phone is facilitated via MIT App Inventor, enabling the app to deliver audible navigation instructions to users. The developed system demonstrated impressive performance, achieving an accuracy of 99.54% at a distance of 250 cm and 99.03% at 450cm. Additionally, it successfully detected obstacles at an angular position of up to 90 degrees. These results highlight the system effectiveness and efficiency in providing precise voice instructions, which are crucial for enhancing navigation for visually impaired individuals. By offering real-time feedback and detailed guidance, this system significantly improves the independence and safety of visually impaired users, boosting their confidence in navigating unfamiliar environments. Overall, the IoT-based navigation system represents a substantial advancement in assistive technology, promising a safer and more autonomous life for those with visual impairments.