COURSE PROJECT - MARCH 2024
Smart Steps : Enhancing mobility for the visually impaired through a wearable navigational tool
TIMELINE
2 months
TYPE
Course Project
TOOLS
Arduino UNO
Arduino IDE
Auto CAD
TEAM
Saira Singh
Sydney Fabbricino
Madeline Jenkins
Therese Ristow
Leanne Witzke
Overview
Smart Steps is a multi-sensory wearable designed to assist individuals who are blind or visually impaired in navigating their environment. Our team developed a system that uses sound feedback through wireless earbuds—triggered by proximity sensors embedded in a pair of smart shoes—to alert users of obstacles ahead. This project blends hardware and software to create an empathetic, inclusive solution to improve the daily experience of the visually impaired.
THE PROBLEM
What problems do visually-impaired people face on the daily basis?
Navigational and physical safety
Limited access to real-time spatial information
Individuals are often forced to rely on their memory
Safety concerns in public spaces are ever-present, particularly with unexpected changes in terrain or layout
Disorientation is common, especially when routine paths are disrupted or unclear.
Social Issues
Individuals with visual impairments are often looked down upon or treated as less capable
Independence is frequently undermined by others who, though well-meaning, offer unsolicited or excessive help.
This can be intrusive, leading to feelings of helplessness and reduced self-confidence.
It may also impede learning and personal growth, as users aren’t given space to explore independently.
THE CHALLENGE
How can we empower people with visual impairments to move through their environments independently and safely?
For this project our main available resource to be utilized was arduino UNO
OUR SOLUTION
Arduino Smart Steps
We designed a pair of smart shoes, called SmartSteps, that help visually impaired individuals navigate their surroundings through real-time auditory feedback. Paired with a mobile app and wireless earbuds, the shoes emit beeping sounds at varying frequencies based on the proximity of nearby objects. As the user moves closer to an obstacle, the beeping accelerates—intuitively alerting them to potential hazards ahead.
PROTOTYPING 1.0
Materials used in prototype production
PROTOTYPING 1.2
Using TinkerCAD to arrange the placements of components and coding in arduino IDE
Using Tinkercad, we experimented with the placement of wires and Arduino components, as well as the code
PROTOTYPING 1.3
Building the physical prototype
PROTOTYPING 2
Envisioning future improvements
We designed a pair of smart shoes, called SmartSteps, that help visually impaired individuals navigate their surroundings through real-time auditory feedback. Paired with a mobile app and wireless earbuds, the shoes emit beeping sounds at varying frequencies based on the proximity of nearby objects. As the user moves closer to an obstacle, the beeping accelerates—intuitively alerting them to potential hazards ahead.
OUTCOME
My key takeaways
We designed a pair of smart shoes, called SmartSteps, that help visually impaired individuals navigate their surroundings through real-time auditory feedback. Paired with a mobile app and wireless earbuds, the shoes emit beeping sounds at varying frequencies based on the proximity of nearby objects. As the user moves closer to an obstacle, the beeping accelerates—intuitively alerting them to potential hazards ahead.