Blind guiding system capable of assisting in sensing road conditions and guiding advancing direction

Abstract

The invention provides a blind guiding system capable of assisting in sensing road conditions and guiding the advancing direction. The blind guiding system comprises a wearable device, a blind guiding walking stick, a road guide and a light-feather ring. Wherein the wearable device comprises a plurality of pathfinding rods provided with wheels, pathfinding rod relative position fixers (transverse elastic support connecting strips), pathfinding rod handles, a waist lantern ring and a tail counterweight rod; the blind guiding walking stick comprises a side rod with a wheel at the bottom, a directional wheel, a metal detector and a touch / sound feedback device. The road surface guidance comprises existing road surface condition navigation information and road surface metal strips additionally arranged according to needs; the light-feather finger ring comprises a finger ring body capable of being arranged on a finger in a sleeving mode, light-weight and tough feathers with a certain length, and a connecting device capable of rotating and fixing an angle. The feathers can be replaced by other light and cheap objects, such as silica gel rollers, silica gel brushes, elastic plastic strips and the like. The blind guiding system is low in cost, feasible, easy to popularize and capable of providing convenience for the blind to go out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of blind guidance, and particularly relates to a blind guidance system that can assist in perceiving road conditions and guiding the traveling direction. Background Art

[0002] At present, blind people still face many difficulties when traveling. Although intelligent technologies have developed rapidly, they are not very practical, too costly, and have little effect in the aspect of blind people's travel. The guide bricks laid by the municipal government often have unreasonable laying and are often blocked by obstacles. In this case, the blind community urgently needs a low-cost and practical blind guidance system. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a blind guidance system that can assist in perceiving road conditions and guiding the traveling direction. This blind guidance system is low in cost and high in practical value.

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: A blind guidance system that can assist in perceiving road conditions and guiding the traveling direction, including a wearable device, a blind cane, a road surface guidance, and a light feather ring.

[0005] Among them: The wearable device includes multiple road exploration rods installed with wheels, a relative position fixer of the road exploration rods (lateral elastic support connection strip), a handle of the road exploration rod, a waist loop, and a tail counterweight rod. The universal wheels and the lateral connection strip at the bottom of the front road exploration rod can effectively detect road conditions and give real-time feedback to the loop at the waist through physical vibration. The handle at the upper part of the road exploration rod can conveniently handle the situation of going up the steps. The waist loop is a double-layer inner and outer slidable structure, and combined with the counterweight rod at the tail, it can automatically turn following the walking direction without manually adjusting the orientation. The waist loop is installed in sections, which can adapt to different waist circumferences and is more flexible to put on and take off.

[0006] The blind cane includes a side rod with wheels at the bottom, a directional wheel, a metal detector, and a metal detection tactile / sound feedback device; the main rod and the side rod are used together to move stably along a fixed facade (such as a corner of a wall, the edge of a flower bed, the curb of a sidewalk) or along the boundary line of roads with different materials, so that the blind person can obtain information about the traveling direction. The metal detector at the bottom can detect metals on the road surface, and the tactile feedback (such as vibration / button movement / button protrusion) / sound feedback device at the handle can effectively guide the forward direction.

[0007] The road surface guidance includes the navigation information provided by the existing road conditions and the road surface metal strips added as needed.

[0008] The light feather ring includes a ring that can be worn on the finger, a feather of a certain length that is light in weight and flexible, and a connecting device that can rotate and be fixed at an angle. The feather, as an extension of the hand, can sense information about other objects such as walls, trace their outlines, reduce harm to the hand, and avoid damage to the contacted objects, thus causing economic losses. The feather can be replaced with other light and inexpensive objects, such as a silicone roller, a silicone brush, an elastic plastic strip, etc.

[0009] The main functions and usage methods of each main component are as follows.

[0010] 1. Path-finding rod: In the present invention, multiple path-finding rods equipped with wheels are used to detect the road conditions ahead. Through testing, according to the vibration feedback and sound feedback, the road conditions ahead can be accurately and timely detected, including road bumps, depressions, uphill slopes, downhill slopes, and steps, and detailed information about the road surface can be provided, such as whether it is a brick road, an asphalt road, or tiles or wooden floors. In the case of proficiency, it is even possible to distinguish which type of brick and how large the brick is, thereby judging one's own position and the direction of travel. Multiple wheels at the bottom detect the road simultaneously, covering the vast majority of footholds. On most relatively clean and flat urban roads, the road surface pressed by the wheels is flat and passable, basically indicating that people can pass normally without encountering fixed objects that may cause injury to people. On this basis, compared with various electronic devices that combine signal conduction and data analysis, the physical vibration transmission of the rod can basically provide detailed road surface information without delay, being more timely, accurate, reliable, energy-saving, and inexpensive and easily available.

[0011] The relative positions of the path-finding rods are fixed with elastic materials. In addition, the horizontal fixing device at the bottom can assist in detecting obstacles. The elastic fixing device in the middle is used to assist in fixing the relative positions of the front path-finding rod and the rear counterweight rod, helping the path-finding rod to stay in front of the traveling direction; at the same time, it is convenient to restore the unfolded state after folding, facilitating storage. The handle of the front path-finding rod is convenient for lifting and lowering the path-finding rod when encountering an upward step.

[0012] 2. Waist loop: The upper end of the wearing device is a loop with an opening, and the inner and outer rings can rotate independently. The outer ring can not be a full circle, leaving a gap on the left or right side to save costs. The loop is composed of multiple small sections, and the circumference can be adjusted to adapt to different waist circumferences.

[0013] 3. Tail counterweight rod: The front part of the outer ring of the wearable device is equipped with the aforementioned path-finding rod, and the rear part is equipped with a weighted rod that can be towed. When moving forward and turning, the weighted rod can act as a "tail", using the inertia generated by the weight and the lateral friction of the wheels to ensure that the "tail" is always behind the forward direction. Through mechanical transmission, there is no need to swing it back and forth by hand, and multiple path-finding rods in the front can be automatically kept in front of the forward direction, which is labor-saving, convenient, comfortable, practical and efficient. This design fully embodies the design concept of people-oriented.

[0014] 4. Guide cane: The bottom of the cane is equipped with a directional wheel and can be pushed all the time, which is more labor-saving than the blind cane that touches the ground up and down. There is a hook at the upper end of the cane. When standing still, the route is too simple and familiar and the cane is not needed, the cane can be hung on the body to let the hand rest.

[0015] The side of the cane is equipped with a wheeled pole. Imagine we're blind and standing at one end of a busy square, needing to reach the other end. Conventional wisdom would require us to carefully follow the directions on our phone's navigation system through the center of the square. Without any specific reference points, we might get lost. Instead, we can move along the edges. With the help of height-adjustable wheeled poles, the distinctive textures of the surrounding building walls, flower bed facades, sidewalk curbs, and the intersection of concrete and lawn can all guide us. This approach, while slightly more detour-oriented, allows us to reach our destination more safely and accurately. Thus, any fixed objects with distinctive facades on the road (such as building walls, flower beds, curbs, bridge railings, and even fixed trash cans and lampposts) form "islands" for walking. Simple metal strips can be laid across these "islands" to create "bridges." The cane's base is equipped with a metal detector that detects the presence of metal beneath it. It then provides real-time tactile feedback (such as vibration, button movement, or button release) or auditory feedback, allowing the cane to continue moving along the metal strip until it reaches another reference point. One might wonder, can a blind person truly reach their destination with such limited information? The answer is yes. Consider the "phone addict" walking down the street. Their field of vision is limited to the bricks, corners, and curbs beneath their feet, yet many of them manage to walk to their destination without crossing the street. This demonstrates that the rich information provided by the ground is sufficient for ordinary people. Combined with the built-in location reporting function of mobile maps, blind people can also use this method to reach their destination. One might also wonder, what if a blind person needs to cross the street? Blind people can stand by the roadside, holding up a small sign that reads, "Please help me cross the street. I have a small gift for you." They can then attach a small gift to the sign, such as a pack of tissues, a bracelet, or a thank-you card, and give it to passersby after they help them cross the street. Given the current urban population density and public security environment, this solution should be feasible. To protect the personal and property safety of blind people from criminals, they can wear a panoramic video recorder.

[0016] 5. Light Feather Ring: The base of the feather is attached to the outside of the ring, and the angle of rotation is controlled by a snap-on attachment, for example, 90° increments. The feather's tip extends beyond the hand, allowing the user to sense the feather without touching a wall or other surface, tracing its contours and avoiding injury to the hand or damage to the object. The feather can also be replaced with other lightweight, inexpensive, and portable materials, such as silicone rollers, silicone brushes, or elastic plastic strips.

[0017] Regarding storage: For all rod-shaped structures, the connection method of nunchucks can be referred to. The rod is hollow with a rope inside. When the rope is tightened, it becomes a straight rod, and when the rope is loosened, the rod can be folded. Snap fasteners can be set at the joints of the rod as needed to make the connection more stable. Description of the Drawings

[0018] Figure 1 It is a drawing of the wearable device in the straight rod version.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a drawing of the wearable device in the curved rod version.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the waist loop.

[0021] Figure 4 It is Example 1 of the guide cane.

[0022] Figure 5 It is Example 2 of the guide cane.

[0023] Figure 6 It is Example 3 of the guide cane.

[0024] Figure 7 It shows two forms of the light feather ring. Detailed Implementation Modes

[0025] The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but are not limited thereto. Any modifications or equivalent replacements made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention shall be covered within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] The present invention provides a guide system that can assist in perceiving road conditions and guiding the traveling direction, including a wearable device, a guide cane, road surface guidance, and a light feather ring.

[0027] Figure 1 It is an example of the straight rod wearable device. The blind person puts the waist loop around the waist, and the universal wheel in the front and the elastic support connecting bar horizontally at the bottom can effectively detect obstacles in the traveling direction.

[0028] Figure 2 It is an example of the curved rod wearable device. Compared with Figure 1 the straight rod, its cost increases slightly and the storage is slightly inconvenient, but it can bounce flexibly when encountering small potholes or small ridges to avoid getting stuck.

[0029] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the waist loop. To reduce costs and improve portability while ensuring comfort, the inner ring and the tail counterweight rod of the waist loop can also be considered to be omitted, and the outer ring is directly fixed to the waist, and the rotation of the own waist drives the front road exploration rod to turn and explore the road.

[0030] Figure 4 It is Example 1 of the walking stick. By using the movable control rod that can swing up and down to connect the tow rope, the lifting and lowering of the side rod are controlled. The metal detector can detect metals on the road surface to guide the traveling direction. The side rod can detect fixed facades or travel along the boundary line between two road surface materials in combination with the main rod. The hook can rotate 180° around the plumb line and be installed reversely, facilitating the replacement of left and right hands for use. When walking at a constant speed on a relatively familiar section of the road, the walking stick can be fixed on the left front or right front outside the waist loop, fixing its angle so that it explores the road along the known fixed route, liberating both hands.

[0031] Figure 5 It is Example 2 of the walking stick. By using the thumb to turn the outer gear at the top of the walking stick, the lifting and lowering of the bottom side rod are controlled through the transmission of internal and external gears and the chain.

[0032] Figure 6 It is Example 3 of the walking stick. The two double-ring structures in the middle are fixed on the main rod, and then the tow rope can be pulled to control the up and down sliding of the side rod in the ring holes. Although this design has a larger volume, it has a simpler structure, lower cost, and lower probability of damage.

[0033] Figure 7 They are two forms of the light feather finger ring. In the two states, the feathers point to the front and side of the finger respectively, facilitating the adjustment of the posture for perceiving objects.

Claims

1. A blind guiding system that can assist in perceiving road conditions and guiding the traveling direction, including a wearable device, a blind guiding cane, road surface guiding, and a light feather ring; wherein: The wearable device includes multiple road exploring rods equipped with wheels, a relative position fixer for road exploring rods (lateral elastic support connecting strip), a handle for road exploring rods, a connecting collar, and a tail counterweight rod; the universal wheels and lateral connecting strip at the bottom of the front road exploring rod can effectively detect road conditions and provide real-time feedback to the collar around the waist through vibration; the handle on the upper part of the road exploring rod can conveniently handle the situation of stepping onto a step; the collar around the waist has a double-layer sliding structure inside and outside, and combined with the counterweight rod at the tail, it can automatically turn following the walking direction without manually adjusting the orientation; the collar around the waist is installed in sections, can adapt to different waist circumferences, and is more flexible to put on and take off; The blind guiding cane includes a side rod with a wheel at the bottom, an orientation wheel, a metal detector, and a metal detection tactile / sound feedback device; the main rod and the side rod are used together to move stably along a fixed vertical surface (such as a corner, the edge of a flower bed, the curb of a sidewalk) or along the boundary line of roads with different materials, enabling the blind person to obtain information about the traveling direction; the metal detector at the bottom can detect metals on the road surface, and the tactile (such as vibration / button movement / button protrusion) / sound feedback device at the handle can effectively guide the forward direction; The road surface guiding includes existing road condition navigation information and road surface metal strips added as needed; The light feather ring includes a ring that can be worn on the finger, a light and tough feather of a certain length, and a rotatable and fixedly angled connecting device; the feather, as an extension of the hand, can perceive information about other objects such as walls, trace their outlines, reduce harm to the hand, and at the same time avoid damage to the contacted objects and cause economic losses; the feather can be replaced with other lightweight and inexpensive objects, such as silicone rollers, silicone brushes, elastic plastic strips, etc.

2. A waist loop according to claim 1, characterized in that The inner and outer circles can slide independently, are composed of multiple small sections, are convenient to put on and take off, and can change the circumference as needed.

3. The device for detecting the road conditions in the traveling direction according to claim 1, characterized in that The front road exploring rod, the roller at the bottom of the road exploring rod, and the lateral connecting strip detect road surface information and transmit it to the collar around the waist in real time through vibration, enabling people to quickly perceive abnormal road conditions; the counterweight rod at the back is equipped with a counterweight and an orientation wheel, and can always stay behind the body during walking, and through a mechanical device, the front road exploring rod is always kept in the front.

4. The haptic feedback device according to claim 1, wherein When receiving a signal, it can vibrate or move the button, or make the button protrude, enabling people to receive tactile feedback.

5. A guiding blind stick for guiding direction according to claim 1, characterized in that The bottom roller is convenient for controlling the direction, and the side roller collects more road surface information. The correct traveling direction can be obtained by combining the information provided by the two.

6. The light feather ring according to claim 1, wherein Installing a feather or other object on the ring can expand the perception range of the hand.

Images