DEVELOPMENT OF A SMART BLIND STICK FOR ENHANCED MOBILITY AND SAFETY OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED PERSONS

The development of a Smart Blind Stick for lacking integrated safety features. To address these issues, the development of an intelligent assistive device, such as a enhanced mobility and safety of visually impaired persons aims to address the daily challenges faced by visually impaired individuals during navigation and health monitoring. Traditional white canes provide limited assistance and cannot detect dynamic obstacles or hazardous environmental conditions effectively. To overcome these limitations,this project proposes an intelligent assistive device based on the Arduino Uno platform, integrating obstacle detection, water detection, and real-time health monitoring to improve independence, confidence, and safety for users. The proposed system utilizes ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection to identify object at a safe distance and alert the user through suitable feedback mechanisms. A water detection sensor is included to detect wet surfaces or water -filled areas, helping prevent slips and falls. In addition to mobility support, the system incorporates health monitoring sensors such as the MAX30100 pulse oximeter for heart rate and oxygen saturation measurement, a temperature sensor for body temperature monitoring, and an ECG sensor for basic cardiac activity analysis. These sensors continuously collect physiological data, enabling proactive health assessment alongside navigation assistance. Furthermore, the smart blind stick is interfaced with a Bluetooth module to communicate with an Android application, allowing real-time monitoring of both environmental and health parameters. The mobile application displays sensor data and provides emergency SMS alerts to caregivers of family members when abnormal conditions or emergencies are detected. By combining assistive navigation with health monitoring and wireless communication, the proposed system offers a comprehensive, cost-effective and wireless communication, the proposed system offers a comprehensive, cost-effective and wireless communication, the proposed system offers a comprehensive, cost-effective ,and user-friendly solution that significantly enhances the quality of life, safety, and independence of visually impaired individuals.