Signifeye

A bold new vision for the blind

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Inspiration

Integration for patients into society: why can't it be achieved? This is due to the lack of attempts to combine medical solutions and the perspectives of patients in daily use. More specifically, we notice fields in aid to visual disabilities lack efficiency, as the most common option for patients with blindness is to use a cane and tap as they move forward, which can be slow, dangerous, and limited. They are clunky and draw attention to the crowd, leading to more possible stigmas and inconveniences in use. We attempt to solve this, combining effective healthcare and fashion.

What it does

  • At Signifeye, we have created a pair of shades with I/O sensors that provides audio feedback to the wearer on how far they are to the object they are looking at.
  • We help patients build a 3D map of their surroundings and they can move around much quicker, as opposed to slowly tapping the guide cane forward
  • Signifeye comes with a companion app that allows for both the blind user and caretakers. The UI is easy to navigate for the blind user and allows for easier haptic feedback manipulation.Through the app, caretakers can also monitor and render assistance to the blind user, thereby being there for the latter 24/7 without having to be there physically through tracking of data and movement.

How we built it

  • The frame of the sunglasses is inspired by high-street fashion, and was modeled via Rhinoceros 3D to balance aesthetics and functionality. The frame is manufactured using acrylic sheets on a laser cutter for rapid prototyping
  • The sensor arrays consist of an ultrasonic sensor, a piezo speaker, a 5V regulator and a 9V battery, and are powered by the Arduino MKR WiFi 1010
  • The app was created using React Native and Figma for more comprehensive user details, using Expo Go and VSCode for a development environment that could produce testable outputs.

Challenges we ran into

Difficulty of iterative hardware prototyping under time and resource constraints

  • Limited design iterations,
  • Shortage of micro-USB cables that transfer power and data, and
  • For the frame design, coordinating the hardware with the design for dimensioning. Implementing hardware data to softwares
  • Collecting Arduino data into a file and accommodating that with the function of the application, and
  • Altering user and haptic feedback on different mobile operating systems, where different programs had different dependencies that had to be followed.

What we learned

As most of us were beginner hackers, we learned about multiple aspects that went into creating a viable product.

  • Fully integrating hardware and software functionality, including Arduino programming and streamlining.
  • The ability to connect cross platform softwares, where I had to incorporate features or data pulled from hardware or data platforms.
  • Dealing with transferring of data and the use of computer language to process different formats, such as audio files or censor induced wavelengths.
  • Became more proficient in running and debugging code. I was able to adjust to a more independent and local setting, where an emulator or external source was required aside from just an IDE terminal.
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