ULTRASONIC BLIND WALKING STICK

Yash Bais1, Piyush Sharma2, S.V. Dhole3
1
Student, 2Student, 3Assistant Professor,
1,2,3
Electronics Dept., Bharati Vidyapeeth (Deemed to Be University)
College of Engineering Pune, Maharashtra, India

Abstract The microcontroller then processes this data

According to the WHO, about 30 million
people are estimated to be permanently
blind worldwide. These people are totally
dependent on others. They even cannot
walk on their own. We have created
designed and built an “Ultrasonic Blind
Walking Stick” device which will help blind
people to walk with ease independently. As
a simpler version, we have used only one
ultrasonic sensor in this project.
The main objective of this project is to help
blind people to walk with ease and to be
warned with voice alerts whenever their
walking path is obstructed with other
objects, people or other similar odds. As a
warning signal, a buzzer and voice alert is
connected in the circuit, whose frequency of
beep changes according to the distance of
object.
Index Terms: Ultrasonic Sensors,
Bluetooth, Detection, Communication,
Arduino.
and calculates if the obstacle distance is close
enough. If the obstacle is not that close the
circuit does nothing. If the obstacle is close the
microcontroller sends a signal through
Bluetooth to the application to sound a voice
alert. . One more feature is that it allows the
blind to detect if there is light or darkness in
the room.
The system has one more advanced feature
integrated to help the blind find their stick if
they forget where they kept it. A wireless
bluetooth based remote is used for this
purpose.. Thus this system allows for obstacle
detection as well as finding stick if misplaced
by disabled people.
Ultrasonic ranging module HC-SR04
provides 2cm - 400cm non-contact
measurement function.The modules include
ultrasonic transmitters, receiver and control
circuit. The basic principle of work:

1. INTRODUCTION
Blind stick is an innovative stick designed for
visually disabled people for improved
navigation. We here propose an advanced
blind stick that allows visually challenged
people to navigate with ease using advanced Fig. 1.Ultrasonic Sensor
technology. The blind stick is integrated with (1) Using IO trigger for at least 10us high
3 ultrasonic sensor for height, breadth and level signal,
obstacle. Our proposed project first uses (2) The Module automatically sends eight
ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles ahead 40 kHz & detect whether a pulse signal
using ultrasonic waves. On sensing obstacles back.
the sensor passes this data to the (3) IF the signal back, through high level,
microcontroller. time of high output IO duration isthe
time from sending ultrasonic to
returning.

 
ISSN (PRINT): 2393-8374, (ONLINE): 2394-0697, VOLUME-5, ISSUE-6, 2018
110 
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (IJCESR)
This system proposes a stick which uses
ultrasonic sensors for detection and a
microcontroller that controls the system
without complexity. The detection angle is 180
degree. In our initial study we face many
problem with the low signal in many areas like
indoors so for that we make use of camera on
the persons head, the camera will be use an
algorithm to identify the highs and obstacles in
front .It is low cost and light weight system.
2. SYSTEM HARDWARE AND
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT
A. BLOCK DIAGRAM OF PROPOSED
SYSTEM
Fig. 2. Block Diagram of proposed system
Our proposed project first uses ultrasonic
sensors to detect obstacles ahead using
ultrasonic waves. On sensing obstacles, the
sensor passes this data to the microcontroller.
The microcontroller then processes this data
and calculates if the obstacle distance is close
enough. If the obstacle is not that close the
circuit does nothing. If the obstacle is close the
microcontroller sends a signal through
Bluetooth to the application to sound a voice
alert. A wireless Bluetooth is used for this
purpose to sends the data to android app. Then
android app gives the output in the form of
speech in headphones. Thus this system allows
for obstacle detection as well as staircase
detection by visually disabled people.
ISSN (PRINT): 2393-8374, (ONLINE): 2394-0697, VOLUME-5, ISSUE-6, 2018
111 
B. COMPONENTS USED
1) Software Requirements
 Talking Display Sheild
This display shield just acts as the hardware
LCD Shield but in smarter way.This shield
outputs 2 line of text, which each text's
properties are customizable in realtime.
To use this shield, connect this app to Arduino
using BT connection via BT module (such as
HC-06) and just send the appropriate
commands. Or to simply play around with this
app, just use BT Serial Terminal app (also from
me), establish the Bluetooth connection and
send the commands through the app.
Fig.3. Talking Display Sheild
 Arduino compiler :
Arduino is an open source computer hardware
and software company, project, and user
community that designs and manufactures
single-board microcontrollers and
microcontroller kits for building digital
devices and interactive objects that can sense
and control objects in the physical and digital
world.
2) Hardware Requirements:
 Ultrasonic Sensor: 5v Power Supply,
Maximum Range 400cm,Minimum
Range 3cm,Best in 30-degree angle.
 Battery: Supply- 5V
 Microcontroller: At mega 328
Microcontroller
 LCD: 16*2 Display
 Bluetooth: HC05
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (IJCESR)
3) Software Simulation :
Fig 4 – Detected obstacle distance and
height
When the ultrasonic sensors detect any objects
or obstacles in 180 degree horizontal and 60
degree vertical, it will activate the buzzer and
the vibration motor automatically. If any of the
three sensors detect any obstacles with in a
range of 100 cm, the buzzer will be activated
with 1000Hz and 2000 m/s delay. If the
obstacles within range of 100 cm and 50 cm
the buzzer will activate with 1000Hz and 1000
m/s delay. Finally, if the detection is below 50
cm the buzzer will activate with 1000Hz, 500
m/s delay and the vibration motor will activate.
Ultrasonic Sensors– Ultrasonic sensors or
ultra-motion detectors are an electronic kit that
contains many sub electronic circuit in it and
has many applications. When signals from the
sensors of sound circuit, playback circuit or
vibrator circuit have been detected, it will be
transmitted to an additional circuit connected
to it, in order to activate the required output.

Fig.7. Detection Flow Chart

4. WORKING PRINCIPLE:
The main part in the system is the
microcontroller that controls the other
components in the system. When the ultrasonic
Fig 5 – Detected stair left and right width sensors detect any objects or obstacle in 180
degree path it will activate the buzzer.
3. IMPLEMENTATION HC05 Bluetooth module with Arduino Uno
This Section will give a detailed description of -
the functioning of the proposed system.
ULTRASONIC SYSTEM – The main part in
the system is the microcontroller that controls
the other components of the system.

Fig.8. Connection between BT & Arduino.

Fig.6. Ultrasonic sensor working

 
ISSN (PRINT): 2393-8374, (ONLINE): 2394-0697, VOLUME-5, ISSUE-6, 2018
112 
 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CURRENT ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (IJCESR)
 
Vcc and Gnd of the module goes to Vcc and Merits of ARDUINO:-
Gnd of Arduino. The TXD pin goes to RXD  Inexpensive.
pin of Arduino and RXD pin goes to TXD pin  Cross-Platform
of Arduino i.e. (digital pin 0 and 1). The user
 Simple, clear programming
can use the on board Led. But here, LED is
environment.
connected to digital pin 12 externally for
 Open source and extensible
betterment of the process.
software, hardware.
Communication Between Arduino And
Android App Using Bluetooth- 6.CONCLUSION
Blind people are weak person due to their
disabilities. They face several problems in
their life, one of these problems that is the most
important one is detection the obstacles. So we
have proposed the system using which we can
clearly identified the obstacle on the path and
the distance of the stair case using the
implemented algorithm. The result shows the
configurable accuracy of the system.

Fig.8. Bluetooth Connection With Devices In this paper a staircase detection and obstacle
detection is developed in alert form for blind
To communicate smartphone with HC-05 people. For Generalized staircase 19 cm is
Bluetooth module, smartphone requires safer height and 52 cm is safer width.
Bluetooth terminal application for transmitting
and receiving data. You can find Bluetooth 7. REFERENCES
terminal applications for android and windows [1] Ayat A. Nada, Mahmoud A. Fakhr, Ahmed
in respective app store. F. Seddik “Assistive Infrared Sensor Based
Smart Stick For Blind People”, Science and
5. MERITS AND DEMERITS : Information Conference 2015 July 28-30, 2015
The ultrasonic blind stick is an innovative stick London, UK.
designed for visually disabled people for
improved navigation. We here propose an [2] J.F.Elleuch, I.K.Kallel, D.S.Masmoudi, “A
advanced blind stick that allows visually New Ground Segmentation Method For
challenged people to navigate with ease using Obstacle Detection Using Possibility
advanced technology Theory”, Advanced Technologies for Signal &
The advantages include: Image Processing (ATSIP),2014 1st
• Less accident will be occurred from the International Conference on.
blind people.
• It has a feature to suggest the right path [3] Gurubaran, Gaorishankar Kasilingam,
to the blind people. Mritha Ranalingam “A Survey Of Voice Aided
• Accurate detection of obstacle and size Electronic Stick For Visually Impaired
of staircase in height & width form. People”, International Journal of Innovative
• Speech message will help blind & Research in Advance Engineering (IJIRAE),
physical disable to recognize the destination. Volume 1, Issue 8, (September 2014).
• Very convenient for the user’s
independently and confidently. [4] https://www.ijecs.in/index.php/ijecs/article
• Auto detection and auto alarming.
• High Accuracy. [5]http://www.circuitstoday.com/ultrasonic-
• Low Cost blind-walking-stick

 
ISSN (PRINT): 2393-8374, (ONLINE): 2394-0697, VOLUME-5, ISSUE-6, 2018
113