Smart Cane for the Visually Impaired
Keywords:
AI, Assistive technology, Braille display, Navigation, Object detection, Smart cane, Visually impaired, Wearable visionAbstract
Visually impaired individuals face extreme challenges in independent mobility and access to information. Age-old tradition-based tools such as white canes and guide dogs remain helpful, but newer technological advances have created new horizons for assistive devices. This study consolidates recent advances in three primary areas: (i) computer vision and artificial intelligence-driven intelligent wearable devices, (ii) intelligent canes with sensors, obstacle avoidance, and navigation features, and (iii) next-generation tactile displays for digital presentation of Braille. Review of 22 peer-reviewed articles confirms that recent assistive devices employ deep learning, multimodal sensor fusion, and haptic feedback to overcome the severe disadvantages of conventional aids. However, challenges exist in computational efficiency, real-world usability, and cost scalability. The paper concludes with proposed future research directions to overcome such challenges and enhance accessibility to visually impaired users.
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