Team Daredevil presents the Haptic Ophthalmic
Our group is setting out to design and prototype a device to assist the visually impaired. We decided to pursue this project after learning that Bryce works with many children with special-needs, including those who are blind. This then led to dawning the awesome team name, Daredevil, considering the fictional character, Matthew Murdock, created by Marvel is blinded by a terrible accident as a young child. In turn he was left with special abilities allowing him to see the world in a whole new way. While we cannot give the gift the of superpowers, we can strive to make life a bit easier for those of who are visually impaired.
Using ultrasonic sensors to measure the distance of objects (i.e. walls, doors, etc..) both oncoming and laterally, the wearer will receive a notification in either the form of an audible tone or haptic feedback as the amount of distance decreases between the object and wearer. This could then in turn allow the person to have both hands free instead of having to carry a wand. Haptic feedback will be provided using vibrating mini motor discs, similar to those found in phones, that will be attached to gloves or wristbands.
Considering it is common for the visually impaired to wear eyeglasses, we will set out to use a pair of cataract eye glasses due to their larger surface area which should make it easier in affixing the needed components to the wearer’s head. If early attempts at this fail, then we will look towards using some form of headgear, or we will use a 3D printer to make a custom case to house the microcontroller(s) that the wearer could place on his or her belt.
| Parts Needed | Quantity | Price (per unit unless noted otherwise) |
|---|---|---|
| Ultrasonic Sensor Module (3-pack) | 1 | 3.95 |
| Vibrating Mini Motor Disc (3-pack) | 1 | 5.85 |
| Arduino Nano (3-pack) | 1 | 20.97 |
| Cataract Eye Glasses | 1 | 5.75 |
| 9V batteries (8-pack) | 1 | 9.99 |
| SPST sub mini toggle switch | 1 | 3.89 |
| Gloves/Wristbands | 1 | 4.99 |
| Total | 53.39 |