Vision Aid Device for the Blind

Project Title

Vision Aid Device for the Blind

Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject Summary

The proposal “Vision Device for the Blind” is about the designing and development of a low-cost Sensory Substitution Vision Aid Device for the Blind Patients. It will have three main components i.e. Camera module, Micro-Computer and IOD (Intra-Oral Device) containing a Tongue display unit. It is a sensory substitution device that provides visual information in the form of electro-tactile stimuli on the tongue of the user. It is a non-surgical solution to provide visual aid to blind patients, having no side effects. Such devices are very costly and unaffordable for poor patients. An estimate shows that available devices introduced by Wicab Inc. costs $7000 to $10000 USD.
This project is focused on cost reduction comparatively to all other available devices in the market. The project is a challenging task that would lead research and development in this field. Once implemented, it can be a great service to humanity, the device could become a sense of living and seeing for those who cannot see in any form. Resultantly, it would bring about the light of those who are derived thereof.

The device provides the users information about the size, shape and location of objects, user can operate it independently as it is portable and easy to use. Besides this this device would bring a pivotal change in the life of disables in future. To the best of our observation, it is a landmarking device for those who are deprived of such cost-effective facilities. The main purpose of the device is totally on the principal of to service to Humanity through Modern Technology.

Project Objectives

The main objective is to develop a “Low-Cost” Vision Aid device which will be a non-surgical solution for the blind, thus avoiding the complications of a surgery.

Our objectives will be:

• To make the device cheaper as compared to previously developed devices.
• To develop a low-cost Vision Aid device which will be made possible due to the advancements in technology especially in the field of electronics, by using modern electronics and image processing algorithms, our device will overcome the deficiencies and failures of such previously developed devices,
• The device will minimize the blind trauma in ophthalmology research.
• The device will be easy to use for the blind patients.
• The device will be available in the country due to domestic initiative for the marginalized class of society as well.

Our Motivation for the Project:

Our Motivation for this project is the service of Humanity by introducing a Vision Aid Device which will be cheaper and be designed for marginalized class of society as compared to all such devices marketed today. This would be a great service to humanity on one side and would be the cheapest facility for the poor blind patients, on the other. The device would become a sense of living for those who live in darkness of their eyes.

Project Implementation Method

The methodology intended to be used is molded to tackle the problems efficiently consists of the following steps:

1. Designing: A sensory substitution vision aid device mainly consists of a Camera module, a Micro Computer and (IOD) an Intra-Oral device, the camera takes picture of the world in front of the user, the micro-Computer then extracts useful information and converts the image to lower resolution which is then mapped into the grid on the Intra-Oral Device.

   The intra-Oral Device consists of grid of electrodes, which will be controlled via a micro-controller and demultiplexers thus all types of 2D shapes/images can be simulated on the intra oral device.

   In this Step, we will design the circuits and algorithms for the project. We will write test codes and programs for all the input and output devices. We will be designing our version of the Intra-Oral Device.

2. Software Simulation: Once the design is completed, we will then simulate using a simulation software. We will keep on improving the overall performance of the device using the simulation environment until satisfactory results are achieved, we will then proceed to step 3.
3. Building a prototype: A working prototype will be built for the purpose of sensitivity analysis.
4. Testing and sensitivity analysis/improvement: The prototype will be used to improve the algorithms and remove any bugs and we may add new features along the way. We will perform practical sensitivity analysis and testing.
5. Final Deliverable: At last, based on the data and improvements from step 4, we will build the final version by modifying the prototype.

The Project Development Methodology is illustrated in the flow diagram in Figure 4:

Benefits of the Project

Some of the benefits of our project are given below:

• The projects renders immense benefits for the blind patients they will be able to detect different objects.
• Benefits to humanity and blind.
• Most of the deserving patients would have this facility throughout in Pakistan as well in the rest of the world.
• Low cost and more advantageous device.
• Revolutionary step on ophthalmology side.
• The device can be developed on the large scale to continue economic activities being a good link between industry and education.
• The device can be modified to help the deaf and balance impairment patients, if required. The device can also be modified to expand the human umwelt.
• Easy to use and beneficial.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

The Final Deliverable of our Project will be a Hardware and Software integrated system, the technical details are as follow: (Some of the components may change depending upon new challenges ahead with new reseach).

• Hardware:

The final build will have the following hardware components:

1. Main Casing box: To make the device portable and provide protection to the components. This box will contain the following:
   1. Raspberry Pi 4B: This single board computer will act as the brain of the project; it will perform all the algorithms and control the rest of the components.
   2. Batteries: These will power all the components, with built-in charging and protection circuit. Having batteries will make the device portable.
   3. Switches/rotary encoders: For user interactivity to different features of the device and turn on/off the device.
   4. Battery Charge indicator LEDs.
2. Camera module mounted on sunglasses, the user will wear the glasses and the camera module will be connected to and controlled by the Raspberry Pi-4B, thus acting as an artificial eye for the user.
3. The Intra-Oral device: To provide the user with information on the tongue. It will be connected to the Raspberry Pi; This will be fabricated on a multi-layer PCB and will consist of two parts:
   1. Tongue Display unit: An electrode grid containing a number of electrodes to provide the user with visual aid in the form on electro-tactile stimuli on the tongue.
   2. Driving Circuitry: Will contain a micro-controller and Multiplexer/De-Multiplexer ICs to drive the Tongue display unit.

• Software:

The software will contain Algorithms for image processing and manipulation to be implemented mostly in Python programming language along with software for the driving of the Intra-Oral Device. 

The camera will be used to capture visual data, this image will be received by the Raspberry Pi for image processing and will be mapped to its tactor form. This will be then recreated on the Intra-Oral-Device. Software will also be used to control different features such as light intensity, stimuli intensity, inversion and zoom.

There will also be a simulation software which will be used for the training of the users.

(It should be noted that the below listed project equipment might change with the passage of time along with reseach as challenges often force us to think out of the box).

Final Deliverable of the Project HW/SW integrated systemCore Industry HealthOther Industries IT , Medical , Others Core Technology Wearables and ImplantablesOther Technologies OthersSustainable Development Goals Good Health and Well-Being for People, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	48860
Single Board Micro-Computer(Raspberry Pi 4B)	Equipment	1	16000	16000
Camera Module	Equipment	2	4500	9000
Esp-32 Microcontroller Dev Board	Equipment	1	850	850
PCB fabrication Service	Equipment	1	4000	4000
De-Multiplexer IC's, 74HC4514 SMD package	Equipment	10	95	950
Epoxy Resin	Equipment	1	1900	1900
Wires and cables	Equipment	3	80	240
Battery Pack	Equipment	1	5500	5500
Casing Enclosure	Equipment	1	500	500
SD-Card 16GB	Equipment	1	1500	1500
Printing and Binding of Thesis	Miscellaneous	6	1000	6000
74HC595 IC, SMD	Equipment	8	40	320
Buttons/switches	Equipment	6	25	150
LEDs	Equipment	300	1	300
Sun glasses	Equipment	1	300	300
Buffer ICs	Equipment	10	35	350
overhead	Miscellaneous	1	1000	1000