Iowa State Industrial Design
December 2023 | 5 weeks
HAPTIC SIGHT
HAPTIC SIGHT
Navigation technology for the blind has not advanced in years
Service Dogs
High maintenance costs and effort
Restricted access in some public places.
Emotional dependency issues.
Mobility Canes
Require constant contact
Maximum depth determined by length of stick
Limited interpretation of the physical world
Electronic Mobility Aids
Underdeveloped technology
Same utility as the cane
Limited interpretation of the physical world
Mission Statement
Empowering the blind to navigate and experience the world with independence through the fusion of LiDAR technology and haptic feedback vests
Design Criteria
User research indicates that devices must seamlessly integrate into users’ lives, appearing indistinguishable from everyday wearables. Users are reluctant to adopt bulky headgear that resembles a portable science experiment.
My plan is to design my product to appear as a regular pair of sunglasses that can be worn with any outfit by both men and women
Initial Ideation
Developing the interface for holding the Lidar module relative to the users head. I began designing around common unisex glasses because they're common and look like nothing more than regular glasses.
Further Development
Began development of more glasses designs, exploring the options for charging, battery containment, and weight distribution.
Vest Designs
Exploring designs for the haptic interface that is used to signal the locations of objects to the user.
Final Concept
This solution integrates Lidar and camera sensors with a haptic array worn on the user's back. As a visually impaired person moves their head, the glasses transmit information about nearby objects to the vest. The haptic array on the vest vibrates based on the object's position and distance, providing stronger feedback for closer objects and less feedback for those further away.
Glasses
Vest
Glasses
The glasses are designed to look like regular eyewear, eliminating the need for any awkward "head apparatuses." A LIDAR sensor is positioned beside the lenses to map the user's environment in real-time, while a camera module next to it helps with environmental reading.
Vest
Made from a flexible PCB inside of cloth, the Haptic SIght vest contains 64 haptic feedback modules. Each module is individually controlled relative to the incoming data from the glasses. This allows the vest to convey a proximity map with haptic feedback.
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Data Transmision
All data of the outside world is collected using the camera and LIDAR sensors located within the glasses. This is then sent to the vest for processing and haptic feedback output.
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Let's see how this works.
Mock Model
Resin 3D Print
Using my Soldiworks model, I was able to 3D print the three part glasses design using stiff resin. I laser cut acrylic mock lenses, then attached off the shelf hinges to create a beatutiful scale model.
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