3-D Space Visualization System Using Ultrasonic Sensors as an Assistive Device for the Blind

Abstract

This study proposes a new assistive device for the blind that uses more than one-dimensional data to draw objects. The study aims to convert three-dimensional (3-D) spatial information into sound information using 6-axis and ultrasonic sensors, and to draw a 3-D depiction of the space ahead for the user. Fourteen participants were involved in testing, wherein 4 were visually impaired. Moreover, the male to female ratio was 7:3, with the average age of participants at 28.8 years. An initial sound recognition experiment was designed to assess the device's accuracy through participant use. Recognition rates were 70% for normal participants and 88% for the blind participants. Additional experiments expanded the environmental conditions by requiring participants to discern the distances of 10 objects, positioned at both high and low locations. Two different scenarios were employed: stationary and walking scenarios. The stationary distance measurement participants scored an average of 96 points, while the walking participants averaged 81 points. Under the given conditions, this study found that its assistive device for the visually impaired can draw a 3-D space with 88.5% accuracy. This probability promises a basic level of utility that can assist those with visual impairment in controlled environments, such as hospitals and homes.

Keywords

• Auditory signal
• visual disturbance
• visual reconstruction
• vision system