Design and Development of an IoT-Based Smart Cane to Assist the Mobility of the Visually Impaired

Abstract

Visually impaired individuals face limitations in perceiving their surroundings, necessitating assistive devices that enhance safety and mobility during daily activities. This research aims to design and build an Internet of Things (IoT)-based smart cane capable of detecting obstacles and displaying the user’s location via a web monitoring interface. The system utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller, three HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles at upper, front, and lower levels, a Neo-6M GPS module for location tracking, and a buzzer for alerts. A prototyping methodology was employed, encompassing requirements analysis, system design, implementation, and hardware and software testing. Test result indicate that the ultrasonic sensors effectively detect obstacles at distances of up to 30 cm, while the GPS module successfully acquires location coordinates for real-time display on the web monitoring platform, enabling the smart cane to provide obstacle alerts and facilitate user location monitoring. Consequently, the developed system serves as a supportive solution to enhance the safety and mobility of visually impaired individuals in their daily lives. Keywords: Smart Cane, Visually Impaired Individuals, ESP32, Internet of Things (IoT), HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensors, Neo-6M GPS Module.