Guidance Device for Sensory Impaired Using Tactile Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Sensory impaired individuals face challenges navigating environments designed for those with typical sensory capabilities, as existing guidance devices, such as canes and guide animals, are limited in providing comprehensive and efficient navigation assistance.
Innovation Solution
A guidance device that utilizes sensor data to generate an environmental model, mapping it to a touch surface for tactile output, and optionally providing audio notifications, enabling sensory impaired users to navigate and interact with their surroundings more effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional guidance devices like canes and guide animals are used, then basic navigation assistance is provided, but comprehensive and efficient navigation assistance is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical guidance systems (canes, guide animals) with an electronic system that uses sensors, processors, and output devices to detect environmental features and provide guidance information, thereby improving navigation efficiency and comprehensiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The guidance device integrates multiple functions including environmental sensing, data processing, tactile feedback, and audio output in a single system, enabling it to provide comprehensive navigation assistance that traditional single-function devices cannot achieve
2Measurement precision
If sensor data processing and environmental modeling are implemented, then navigation accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides environmental detection into multiple independent sensor components (e.g., ultrasonic, infrared, optical sensors) that detect different types of environmental features, allowing complex environmental modeling to be achieved through coordinated simple sensor functions
Solution Approach 2:
The processor acts as an intermediary that receives raw sensor data, processes it into meaningful environmental models, and translates it into guidance information for output devices, thereby managing system complexity through modular information processing
3Ease of operation
If tactile output and audio notifications are provided, then user interaction capability is enhanced, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance device provides tactile and audio outputs periodically or on-demand based on detected environmental changes rather than continuously, reducing energy consumption while maintaining enhanced user interaction capability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensor feedback to determine when environmental changes occur and only activates output devices (tactile or audio) when changes are detected, thereby reducing unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining responsive user interaction
Data Source
AI summary
Sensor data is obtained regarding an environment around a guidance device. A model of the environment is generated based on the data. The model is mapped at least to an input/output touch surface of the guidance device. Tactile output is provided to a user of the guidance device via the input/output touch surface based at least on the mapping. Other output based on the model may also be provided. The guidance device may include a variety of different components such as sensors that obtain data regarding the environment, input/output mechanisms for receiving input from and/or providing input to the user, processing units and/or other components for generating the model and/or mapping the model to various input/output mechanisms, and so on. Additionally, the guidance device may cooperate and/or communicate with a variety of different electronic devices that have one or more such components in order to perform such functions.