Journal of Scientific Engineering Advances

Abstract

Independent mobility remains one of the most important challenges faced by individuals with visual impair ments. Traditional white canes provide essential support for navigation; however, they can only detect ob stacles after physical contact, which may limit user awareness and increase the risk of collisions. This study presents the design and development of a smart assistive cane that combines ultrasonic sensing technology with haptic feedback to improve obstacle detection and user safety.

The proposed system consists of an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor, an Arduino Nano microcontroller, a vibration motor, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and a lightweight cane structure. The ultrasonic sensor continu ously measures the distance between the user and surrounding obstacles. When an obstacle is detected within a predefined range, the system activates a vibration motor to provide immediate tactile feedback, allowing the user to react before making physical contact with the object.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the system, experimental testing was conducted with five visually impaired users. A total of twenty navigation trials were performed in both indoor and outdoor environments with ob stacles positioned at different distances. The prototype achieved a detection accuracy of 90% and operated continuously for approximately 6.5 hours on a single battery charge. User feedback indicated improved confidence, environmental awareness, and ease of navigation compared with traditional mobility assistance methods.

The results demonstrate that affordable sensing technologies can provide meaningful improvements in ac cessibility and mobility. Future development may incorporate GPS tracking and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity to further enhance user safety and real-time location monitoring.