Smart Blind Stick for Visually Impaired People using IoT

The existing assistive device used by the visually impaired, a stick, is insufficient for allowing them to live independently. Getting from one place to another, whether indoors or outside, is a huge issue for persons who are visually impaired. And the traffic conditions make their everyday journeys more onerous. Consequences such as falling over stationary objects, relocating barriers, or missing a traffic light can only be avoided if they maintain a constant state of vigilance. For the visually challenged, technology can solve these problems. The proposed method employs the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm to serve as a link between the visually handicapped and their surroundings. An ultrasonic sensor may be used to scan the surroundings for possible obstacles, while an ESP32 camera collects the traffic signal image. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model is particularly tailored for the task to detects the traffic signal. The speaker is permanently attached to the controller's output and can alert the user about obstacles and traffic signals. The next step is to confirm whether the person is roaming within the nearer area or not. If the person is navigating a long distance away from the house, the system will send a text message to the registered mobile number. The suggested smart blind stick is both simple to use and cost-effective due to the incorporation of several types of sensors and modules with IoT.