Team D2: SightMate

Navigating indoors can be challenging for visually impaired people, as indoor layouts often change and available navigation apps are not applicable indoors. While canes are useful tools for detecting obstacles, guide dogs can be valuable aids in quickly navigating a space. Unfortunately, guide dogs are generally very costly to train and maintain, and sometimes unavailable in an indoor setting. In addition, guide dogs can be difficult for visually-impaired people to care for. We aim to offer an accessible alternative for guide dogs by creating a wearable device to aid in maneuvering around obstacles for visually-impaired people. Specifically, the product will be an automated navigation system that indicates to the user when they are approaching objects in front of them. It will let the users notice whatever object is in their pathways, similar to what guide dogs would do but with a much cheaper and easily maintainable solution. This product will be used along with a cane, which is the most commonly used assistive device for the visually-impaired, and provides the benefits of a guide dog without the extensive costs and care.