Eyes for the Blind

 Jonathon Greenlinger, Verrazano Class of 2020, completed Major in Computer Engineering with a minor in Mathematics

In the beginning of my fall 2019 semester, I explored ideas ways to make an engineering project that could improve societal functions. Under the supervision of Professor Changmin Kim, I chose a project that I found to be the most beneficial to 285 million people, or 4% of the Earth’s population, the blind.

            What better way to enhance the mobility of the visually impaired people of the world than with a cane? Not just any cane…a cane engineered by me, that includes three unique features: distance detection, light sensing, and a “Find My Cane” option.

For my project, I used an Arduino Nano for my coding and control. The Arduino Nano is basically the brains and ties in the circuit using special functionality pins. The ultrasonic sensor at the front of the stick detects distance from an approaching obstacle. As the subject walks closer to an obstacle, the cane emits beeps. The Light Dependent Resistor (LDR) is tasked with measuring how much light is in the room so the subject using the blind stick can be notified if they are entering a dark or low light room. This is useful for low vision users. A 315 MHz receiver is responsible for the remote-controlled beeps emitted by the buzzer to help locate the cane when it is not near the person using it. A pre-programmed key fob acts as the transmitter. When the remote is pressed, the cane emits a unique set of sounds/beeps that can assist the subject on moving closer to finding their cane.

You must be wondering, how I am making this sound so easy? Well, for starters, I scrapped a third of my project’s original idea because things weren’t working out the way I wanted them to. After hours upon hours of research and decision making, I decided to keep it basic. Boy, what a project it turned out to be, and I couldn’t be happier.

In the end, my project proved to be a great success. It is fully operational, and works exactly the way it was designed and programed to be. Hey, you never know, you might find my product patented and on the market some day!