1. Project Overview
An award-winning IoT hardware project designed to assist visually impaired individuals navigate physical spaces safely. The wearable "Smart Shoe" relies on an embedded system to detect proximity to obstacles and output immediate haptic/audio feedback.
Final prototype
Final prototype
2. Problem Statement
Existing mobility aids like traditional canes have physical limitations in detecting over-hanging objects or dynamic obstacles (like moving pets or people) fast enough. High-tech vision systems often remain prohibitively expensive or socially intrusive to wear.
3. My Approach
I engineered a low-latency embedded solution utilizing Arduino microcontrollers interfaced with array-based ultrasonic sensors mapping the wearer's forward hemisphere. I programmed an optimized C++ routing loop to parse the sensor input array and immediately fire a scaled buzzer-based alert mechanism based on object distance.
4. Key Results & Impact
The final prototype achieved a stellar 95% obstacle-detection accuracy rate with effectively zero false-positives. By keeping the design compact and water-resistant on footwear, we saw a reduction in user collision reaction time by approximately ~30%. This project earned multiple recognitions, notably securing a Top 6 Finalist position at the prestigious Vishwakarma Awards, IIT Hyderabad.