3 steps to helping the blind navigate dangerous head-height obstacles...
Problem
The visually impaired have gained substantial independence with advancements like walking canes, canine assistants, and chirping traffic lights. None of these improvements, though, can help them avoid head-height obstacles like signs, tree branches, and misplaced objects. Annually, such unfortunate situations results in hundreds of injuries, some of which are severe. I had the privilege of working with a few members of the blind society in the need-finding stage.
Solution
A simple haptic device was conceived of by the Haptics Group that incorporates inexpensive readily-available electronics and a mass-producible casing that uses IR proximity sensing to determine the distance of obstacles and relay a high frequency haptic alert via a eccentric mass motor positioned on the walking cane handle.
Implementation
My duty was to use the electronics prototyped and selected by master's candidate David Wang and create an easily attachable, small, lightweight, mass-producible version that intuitive and beautiful. I went to the drawing board and sketched several ideas, shapes, constraints, and relations between the different sensors and actuators. It had to be something users could find intuitive to the touch and with buttons smartly placed and not obstructing each other. The package was made tiny by wrapping parts closely together, regardless of the unfortunately large batteries. These were placed on the bottom to make it bottom heavy and naturally stay centered to assure correct sensing.