A was written by Talay, B was written by Kevin, C was written by Charles
A:
BlindAssist addresses the global need for independent indoor navigation for visually impaired individuals by utilizing technology that does not rely on certain geographies or existing infrastructure. Traditional aids like white canes struggle in indoor navigation, as it only focuses on obstacle avoidance. By using ultra wideband (UWB) localisation and stereo vision, we offer a solution that only requires a one-time set up that can be applied to any geographical area. If we used a GPS instead, we would be limited to areas where GPS signals could reach. The haptic feedback belt is easy to use for non-tech-savvy users, since the user can simply press a button to request navigation and follow through with haptic feedback. This also overcomes any language or literacy barriers.
The setup of BlindAssist is also minimalist, requiring only ceiling-mounted cameras and UWB anchors. This means that the system can be adopted in diverse global settings with modifying the existing infrastructure. This scalability is crucial to our targeted areas, which are hospitals, universities, airports, etc. The discreet belt form also allows the user to walk around without attracting too much attention. The 3-5 hour battery life allows users to use the product for an extended period of time without needing a power source close by. Thus, BlindAssist offers a product that could help address the global need for indoor navigation beyond localized contexts.
B:
One cultural aspect that I think our wearable design addresses is the desire for discreteness. In many cultures, discretion is preferred especially when it comes to assistive technology. We prioritize discreteness through tactile feedback over auditory feedback and using a belt, which can be hidden under clothes. Furthermore, our haptic feedback and button system eliminates the need to accommodate various languages since it eliminates vocal input and auditory cues, which makes it adaptable under many cultures.
C.
Our product uses a lot of technology and sensors that inevitably use natural resources. Although our device is not as resource intensive as something like a smartphone or other massively resource intense technologies, given the fact that we expect our product to be scalable to larger areas, it will require a linear growth of both cameras, processing systems, and UWB sensors. Although we don’t expect these technologies to be as resource demanding as some other technological commodities, it is definitely important to note that increasing the coverage area of our product covers comes with a cost of resources. Because of this, we have chosen to keep all our sensors and our processing system relatively lightweight. All of the haptic feedback sensors are very small in scale and require the least amount of resources in comparison to some of the other guidance systems we ideated with. The Jetson Nano is also a relatively lightweight computer used for processing. Because we are using a smaller computer, we can limit the amount of energy required for the product to operate. Additionally, the stereo camera that we are using is very bare bones and is essentially as lightweight as a camera can get. By keeping our solution to minima while still maintaining functionality, we think that we lessen the impact that our product has on the environment.