Uitsiton: wearable for mobility of the visually impaired

Abstract

This article explains the development of the Uitsiton system, capable of detecting obstacles to alert visually impaired users, increasing their mobility and confidence when moving. Uitsiton is made up of a portable electronic device (wearable) and a mobile application (App) that operates under the Android platform. The wearable is integrated into a vest-like garment. It is used to compute the approximate distance between the visually impaired user and the obstacles that they can find in their path. The wearable covers a range of 180 degrees vertically and horizontally with respect to the center of the torso, and reaches a maximum distance of 120 cm. The App works synchronously with the wearable, it receives a series of data corresponding to the measurements of the distance between the user and the obstacle, and it triggers a sound pattern and a vibration pattern according to the proximity of the obstacle.