St. Theresa’s College Quezon City

St. Theresa’s College Quezon City

Abstract

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When crossing a road, 95% of visually impaired people collide with obstacles and ​are more likely to be hurt than the general public. In the Philippines, commuting is one of ​the difficulties experienced by visually impaired individuals due to obstructed sidewalks, ​unsafe pedestrian crossings, and slippery overpasses, especially in Manila. Furthermore, ​tools such as white canes and dog guides are less likely to help the visually impaired due ​to the unfavorable commuting conditions in the country. In line with this, the researchers ​aim to develop an efficient smart cane with navigational sensors for blind mobility. An ​experimental approach is used in this study to examine and compare the speed, path-​following accuracy, collision frequency, and ergonomic principles of a white cane to a ​smart cane. The researchers created a prototype of a smart cane with an

ultrasonic sensor, vibration motor, and power bank, and programmed this

through the Arduino Software. Despite the lack of time to complete the

study, the price of the materials required, and space for the venues, the

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Abstract

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researchers were able to develop an efficient smart cane which led to the success of the ​study. Following a precise statistical analysis and descriptive statistics, the researchers ​discovered that while the standard white cane has a higher mean speed, the smart cane ​is preferable for collision frequency. Furthermore, the researchers considered developing ​and supplying the gaps from the prior studies that were in line with the development of ​smart cane. Thus, the group recommends future researchers improve the ​experimentation through head-level detections, and real-life obstacles like trash cans, ​consider having visually impaired participants, and replace or add sensors that can ​detect obstacles from all directions.

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INTRODUCTION

RESULTS

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METHODOLOGY

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DISCUSSION

Introduction

Commuting is one of the most popular ways of transportation in the Philippines. ​However, not only does it cause traffic problems for others, but it is also detrimental to ​those with disabilities, particularly visually impaired Filipinos. Obstructed sidewalks, ​unsafe pedestrian crossings, and slick overpasses, particularly in Manila, result in a high ​number of casualties among visually impaired Filipino commuters. We seized this ​chance as STEM students to develop an innovative solution to this problem and use it as ​experiential learning for our future field of study. Several studies have been

conducted on this topic, including the development of smart canes for the visually ​impaired that are supported by various sensors, as well as a comparison between

a regular white cane and an electronic white cane.

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Introduction

The goal of this research is to create an ergonomic and cost-effective smart cane for

visually impaired Filipinos utilizing Arduino sensors. The researchers will observe the quantitative differences in average mobility speed, path-following accuracy, and frequency of collisions with obstacles between smart canes and traditional canes. The researchers constructed two identical obstacles, each with twelve boxes and a single starting and ending point. In this matter, the participants will be given instructions on maneuvering both the different canes before being blindfolded and starting the procedure. In this way, the required variable will be listed to forward the findings

of the observation.

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Methodology

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This study uses an experimental design to compare the speed, path-following accuracy, frequency of collision, and ergonomics between white and smart canes. The researchers constructed a smart cane prototype using Arduino with navigational sensors, vibration motors, and rechargeable batteries. The participants of the study were thirty-three students from the junior and senior high school departments of St. Theresa’s College, Q.C. selected through probability sampling. After receiving their consent, they were blindfolded and brought to navigate an obstacle course using a smart cane and then a white cane. The data is gathered by counting the obstacles bumped by the participants and the time they finished using a stopwatch. The researchers will

use Jamovi.com to accurately get the statistical analysis and descriptive

statistics of the data gathered to be analyzed and interpreted to answer the

research questions.

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Methodology

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The main inferential analysis used for the data was the t-test, which compared the ​means of two nominal groups to find a significant difference between them. This ​technique will be used to display and compare the results for the dependent variables ​obstacle collision scores and time in seconds, which will be the comparison point of ​reference for the data analysis. The values will be added to the Jamovi statistical ​software, which also notes the p-value, variance, and standard deviation. Descriptive ​statistics are also used in this research to note the mean or average of the overall ​obstacle score, obstacles hit, and time.


Ethical considerations for the participants were accounted for by presenting

them with details of the experiment and consent forms before experimentation.

They were given detailed instructions on the procedure, shown the Data Privacy

Act of 2012, and ensured no harm.

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Methodology

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The decision of each individual to engage in the study or not can therefore be regarded ​as respected by the researchers. The participants are informed in the signed consent ​form that the researchers are allowed to record the experiment for data collection and ​that their involvement in this process is voluntary. Moreover, they were required to check ​boxes that asked the following: 1) If they wished to participate. 2) Their right to stay ​anonymous; and 3) If they wear glasses. Privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity are ​three additional ethical principles that were accepted in the research that are significant. ​These assisted the study in accomplishing its goal.

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Results

Based on the raw results obtained from the experiment, the average frequency of obstacles bumped by the participants using the smart cane was 2.45 with an average time of 74.16 seconds, while the average frequency of obstacles bumped using the white cane was 4.58 with an average time of 66.69 seconds. This implies that the smart cane made the participants more aware of their surroundings because of the vibrations. A possible explanation for why the average time of the smart cane was higher than that of the white cane is that the participants were more cautious and focused on the goal of avoiding obstacles.


Furthermore, the conducted research yielded results indicating that

participants using the smart cane had a lower average frequency of bumped

obstacles compared to those utilizing the white cane as it demonstrated a higher avoidance and detection rate with a mean score of 9.55 out of 12 compared to the

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Results

white cane group with a mean score of 7.42 out of 12. Additionally, the smart cane significantly reduced collision rates, as evidenced by T-test results yielding a p-value less than 0.001. However, it is noteworthy that the average time required to complete the obstacle course was higher for smart cane users compared to white cane users. The mean time for the smart cane group was 7.49 seconds longer than that for the white cane group. One of the observations of the researchers while conducting this study was that the participants became more cautious and took the time to wait for the vibrations from the stick while finishing the course, decreasing the speed accuracy.

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Discussion

The main objective of the research was to enhance the smart cane by utilizing ​vibrations and rechargeable batteries. A power bank prolonged the battery life, resulting ​in less inconvenience for users, thus the gaps were addressed. Identifying the ​quantitative differences between the smart cane and white cane using the same ​population showed what aspects to improve on and the ability of sensors for navigation. ​So the final results drew similar conclusions to other studies, notably in the effectiveness ​of the smart cane in detecting obstacles and how its unfamiliar features can slow down ​its user. However, it should be noted that certain limitations, such as time

constraints and blindness simulation (no visually impaired participants),

can all affect the actual practice and evaluation in real-life scenarios

with the target population.

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Discussion

In conclusion, by enhancing the standard white cane with sensors and vibrations to ​create a smart cane, there will be a significant difference in obstacle avoidance but not ​so in speed. This research can be used to understand what influences speed and ​awareness to improve medical technology and promote independence for visually ​impaired people. It can develop smart cane designs to create more effective, convenient, ​and safe walking aids that researchers, manufacturers, and the population can use. On ​that note, a few recommendations to further develop the smart cane include: (1) Using ​sensors and other cues for prototypes. (2) Varying obstacle properties for

tests for better real-life simulations on sidewalks and roads. (3) Including

participants who have visual impairments to better understand how they

operate white canes.

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Documentation

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References

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Members

Marian Kate Encarnacion

Marian Kate Encarnacion

Katelyn Nicole Burce

Katelyn Nicole Burce

Muskan Kaur

Muskan Kaur

Serenity Yunah Tiffa Mira

Serenity Yunah Tiffa Mira

Ana Celina Torio

Ana Celina Torio

Mika Yazmine Manjares

Mika Yazmine Manjares