Wearable Haptic-Response Object Sensing for the Visually Impaired
Anubis Magana, Yuzhang Zang · 2024
Body Area Networks (BANs) have gained significant traction in the last few decades, particularly in the medical field, where they find applications such as Electroencephalograms (EEGs), Electrocardiograms (ECGs), Electrooculograms (EOGs), and more. These networks play a crucial role in supporting individuals with various impairments or physical limitations, including the Visually Impaired and/or Blind. However, some existing BAN solutions, designed to aid the visually impaired, can be invasive, requiring users to wear vests, sleeves, or bands that cover a substantial part of their body. This can be perceived as cumbersome, potentially hindering rather than facilitating mobility. Therefore, developing a non-invasive solution that ensures user comfort and promotes a greater sense of freedom is highly desirable for these application scenarios. The focus is on shifting the burden of adaptation from the user to the technology, allowing individuals seeking aid for their impairments to navigate their environment without feeling the need to modify their bodies.