Skip to content
Logo

Hackaday

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Hackaday.io
  • Tindie
  • Contests
  • Submit
  • About

wayfinding

1 Articles

Find Your Way With Tiny Laser Beams

December 31, 2017 by Kristina Panos 10 Comments

For their final project in embedded microcontroller class, [Aaheli, Jun, and Naomi] turned their focus toward assistive technology and created an Electronic Travel Aid (ETA) for the visually impaired that uses haptic feedback to report the presence of obstacles.

We have seen a few of these types of devices in the past, and they almost always use ultrasonic sensors to gauge distance. Not so with this ETA; it uses six VL53L0X time-of-flight (ToF) sensors mounted at slightly different angles from each other, which provides a wide sensing map. It is capable of detecting objects in a one-meter-wide swath at a range of one meter from the sensors.

The device consists of two parts, a wayfinding wand and a feedback module. The six ToF sensors are strapped across the end of a flashlight body and wired to an Arduino Mini inside the body. The Mini receives the sensor data over UART and sends it to the requisite PIC32, which is attached to a sleeve on the user’s forearm. The PIC decodes these UART signals into PWM and lights up six corresponding vibrating disc motors that dangle from the sleeve and form a sensory cuff bracelet around the upper forearm.

We like the use of ToF over ultrasonic for wayfinding. Whether ToF is faster or not, the footprint is much smaller, so its more practical for discreet assistive wearables. Plus, you know, lasers. You can see how well it works in the demo video after the break.

This device is intended to augment the traditional white cane, not replace it. This virtual cane we saw a few years ago is another story.

Continue reading “Find Your Way With Tiny Laser Beams” →

Posted in Microcontrollers, Wearable HacksTagged assistive technolgy, friggin lasers, haptic, haptic feedback, spatial, time of flight, vibration motor, wayfinding

Search

Never miss a hack

Follow on facebook Follow on twitter Follow on youtube Follow on rss Contact us

Subscribe

If you missed it

  • Field Guide To North American Crop Irrigation

    8 Comments
  • The Sense And Nonsense Of Virtual Power Plants

    31 Comments
  • The Browser Wasn’t Enough, Google Wants To Control All Your Software

    167 Comments
  • Where There Is No Down: Measuring Liquid Levels In Space

    40 Comments
  • Radio Apocalypse: America’s Doomsday Rocket Radios

    17 Comments
More from this category

Our Columns

  • Ask Hackaday: Now You Install Your Friends’ VPNs. But Which One?

    No comments
  • No Need For Inserts If You’re Prepared To Use Self-Tappers

    44 Comments
  • Hackaday Links: August 31, 2025

    8 Comments
  • Hackaday Podcast Episode 335: Beer, Toast, And Pi

    2 Comments
  • This Week In Security: DEF CON Nonsense, Vibepwned, And 0-days

    6 Comments
More from this category

Search

Never miss a hack

Follow on facebook Follow on twitter Follow on youtube Follow on rss Contact us

Subscribe

If you missed it

  • Field Guide To North American Crop Irrigation

    8 Comments
  • The Sense And Nonsense Of Virtual Power Plants

    31 Comments
  • The Browser Wasn’t Enough, Google Wants To Control All Your Software

    167 Comments
  • Where There Is No Down: Measuring Liquid Levels In Space

    40 Comments
  • Radio Apocalypse: America’s Doomsday Rocket Radios

    17 Comments
More from this category

Categories

Our Columns

  • Ask Hackaday: Now You Install Your Friends’ VPNs. But Which One?

    No comments
  • No Need For Inserts If You’re Prepared To Use Self-Tappers

    44 Comments
  • Hackaday Links: August 31, 2025

    8 Comments
  • Hackaday Podcast Episode 335: Beer, Toast, And Pi

    2 Comments
  • This Week In Security: DEF CON Nonsense, Vibepwned, And 0-days

    6 Comments
More from this category

Recent comments

  • dudefromthenorth on Reverse-Engineering Mystery TV Equipment: The Micro-Scan
  • lakristrolle on One ROM: The Latest Incarnation Of The Software Defined ROM
  • dudefromthenorth on Reverse-Engineering Mystery TV Equipment: The Micro-Scan
  • rclark on The Case For Pascal, 55 Years On
  • AndyChow on Tiny Datasette Uses USB For The Modern Day
  • threeve on Field Guide To North American Crop Irrigation
  • rclark on The Case For Pascal, 55 Years On
  • Bruce G. Gettel Jr. on Field Guide To North American Crop Irrigation
  • Foldi-One on Applying Thermal Lining To Rocket Tubes Requires A Monstrous DIY Spin-caster
  • DurDurDur on Applying Thermal Lining To Rocket Tubes Requires A Monstrous DIY Spin-caster
Logo
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Hackaday.io
  • Tindie
  • Video
  • Submit A Tip
  • About
  • Contact Us

Never miss a hack

Follow on facebook Follow on twitter Follow on youtube Follow on rss Contact us

Subscribe to Newsletter

Copyright © 2025 | Hackaday, Hack A Day, and the Skull and Wrenches Logo are Trademarks of Hackaday.com | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Digital Services Act | Do not sell or share my personal information
Powered by WordPress VIP