Inspiration
Imagine navigating your daily routine blindfolded—simple tasks become daunting, and the world feels unpredictable. This is the reality for approximately 245 million individuals living with visual impairments. Every step they take is fraught with challenges, from avoiding obstacles to ensuring personal safety. Inspired by their resilience, we developed "Dristi," a smart bag designed to empower visually impaired individuals, making their journeys safer and more confident.
What it does We built a smart bag designed to assist visually impaired individuals. With a simple tap of a button, it sends an emergency alert to a designated contact. The bag monitors posture, measures environmental and body temperatures, and detects obstacles using a webcam and ultrasonic sensors. All information is relayed through a connected web application that provides real-time vocal guidance, enhancing the user's safety and confidence.
How we built it with We combined hardware innovation with intuitive software design: Hardware: Software:
Challenges we ran into
Merging multiple sensors into a cohesive, reliable system proved to be more challenging than anticipated. Coordinating diverse data streams required solutions, especially when our ultrasonic sensor intermittently failed to operate as expected, undermining real-time obstacle detection. Additionally, capturing and reliably saving analog data signals was a persistent struggle due to noise and instability.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Successfully integrating diverse sensors into a unified system that performs reliably in real-world conditions.
- Developing an accessible web application that offers clear, real-time audio guidance.
- Creating a solution that not only addresses safety but also enhances everyday confidence and independence.
What we learned Every test and setback taught us the value of iteration. Continuous feedback from real users helped us quickly identify issues and refine our approach, making the end product more reliable and user-friendly. Bringing multiple sensor technologies together into one cohesive system highlighted the complexity of system integration. We learned that careful calibration and robust data management are essential to ensure every component works in harmony for a safe and confident user experience.
What's next for Dristi Looking ahead, we envision integrating advanced technologies to further enhance "Dristi." Incorporating artificial intelligence could enable real-time scene descriptions and object recognition, providing users with a comprehensive understanding of their surroundings. Advanced haptic feedback mechanisms could convey information through touch, such as obstacle proximity or navigation cues, enhancing spatial awareness. Additionally, developing wearable components, like smart glasses or wristbands, that sync with the bag could offer discreet alerts and information, promoting seamless assistance. By embracing these innovations, "Dristi" can transform into a comprehensive, solution, significantly improving the quality of life for not only visually impaired individuals but also for those who want to live a enriched lifestyle.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.