Electrical Engineering students innovate Smart Glasses for Visually Impaired to ensure obstacle detection for safe movement at public places

Smart Glasses by Chandigarh University Students to Help in Obstacle Detection for the Visually Impaired

CHANDIGARH, India, Aug. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Simplifying lives of visually impaired people, two Chandigarh University students, Amit Ranjan and Simran Thakur, have developed first-of-its-kind Smart Glasses which will help visually impaired people in avoiding accidents by ensuring hassle-free obstacle detection for easy movement at public places.

Bringing laurels to Chandigarh University, Amit Ranjan and Simran Thakur have won 1st prize for "Building Smart Glasses for the Blind" project from Indian Institute of Technology Ropar. These smart glasses were also displayed at Chandigarh University's Projects Expo and Engineers Day.

As over 88 per cent of visually impaired people (blind) experience accidents during their lifetime according to a research paper published in a renowned international journal, the Smart Glasses would help visually impaired people in safe navigation in their daily life.

While sharing details, Amit Ranjan and Simran Thakur said: "After we observed that visually impaired people face difficulty while moving around in public places, we decided to develop a device which can aid them in easy and safe movement in public places. Usually, the blind people use stick for obstacle detection to move around but if they forget to take it along then they face a lot of difficulty in public places. We wanted to develop a device for the blind people which they won't have to carry with them separately so we developed these smart glasses which they can wear that ensures hassle-free obstacle detection thereby assisting them in easy movement.

"These smart glasses giver real-time and accurate information about surroundings and potential dangers. This unique device also epitomizes the spirit of innovation harnessed for a good purpose by using technology to restore a sense of empowerment and choice, presenting a beacon of hope and development for a bright and more inclusive future."

These smart glasses have Arduino Nano, ultrasonic sensor, buzzer, haptic feedback motor, lithium-ion battery, step-up module, connecting wire and charging module.

The ultrasonic sensor detects the surrounding objects and sends the data to the Arduino Nano. When an obstacle is within a certain range, the Arduino Nano activates the buzzer and haptic motor. The buzzer then sends auditory signals and the haptic motor generates tactile signals, letting the user know the position of the obstacle. The charging module allows the battery to be charged safely. This in turn helps the blind people to detect obstacles in their path and navigate safely. These two innovative students have filed to get patent rights for this unique device.

Congratulating Amit Ranjan and Simran Thakur for developing Smart Glasses, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and Chancellor of Chandigarh University, Satnam Singh Sandhu said: "It indeed is a proud moment for all of us in Chandigarh University as this innovative device would prove to be instrumental in simplifying and making lives of blind people safer. It is such inventive ideas and their concretization into final products or services that are aimed at simplifying lives and making society a better place is what separates Chandigarh University from the rest."

"Chandigarh University has always encouraged students to excel by providing a conducive environment and state-of-the-art facilities for research and innovation along with academic excellence. Apart from the state-of-the-art laboratories in different departments, Chandigarh University has 30 Industry-sponsored Advanced Research Labs and 32 Centres of Excellence established by leading MNCs that empower students with real-time, practice industry experience to its students. CU hosts India's first real-time ground station at Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science and Technology," the Chancellor said.

"Moreover, it has a vast International Research Network with more than 502 universities in over 95 countries. To further encourage research on the campus, the university has reserved a budget of Rs 15 Crore this year. In the last ten years, the students and faculty of Chandigarh University have filed 2613 patents in the field of Engineering, Sciences, IT, and Healthcare, out of which, more than 130 filed patents are of students from Punjab. In 2021-22, Chandigarh University set a record by filing 703 patents, establishing itself as the highest patent filing institution in the country within a single year," Sandhu added.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: https://www.cuchd.in

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