Assessment on Design of a Talking Distance Measuring Wheel for the Visually Impaired Students

doi: 10.14456/mijet.2019.11

Authors

  • Upady Hatthasin Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL)

Keywords:

Rotary-encoder sensor, Wheel, Distance, Arduino, Visually impaired students

Abstract

This research proposed to design and create a prototype of an inexpensive talking measuring wheel for individuals who are visually impaired. By providing Brailles display and pronouncing the distance travelled, the proposed device helps educate the visually impaired to understand the concept of distance and measurement. To achieve this, an Arduino Uno R3 micro-controller is utilized to detect wheel’s movement via Rotary-Encoder Arduino. Once the distance value has been obtained, the audio module selects an appropriate pre-recorded MP3 audio file to decode, informing the user of the distance travelled in two supported languages: Thai and English. The proposed device has been evaluated by 32 sighted and 12 visually impaired volunteers who extensively used the device and provided scores in seven aspects: appropriateness of the narration, suitability of the body weight, appropriateness of the keypad positions, suitable size for elementary school students, suitable for the sighted and the visually impaired, Suitable for the grip, and accuracy. The device received overall satisfactory scores, and due to its relatively low cost, is well-suited for individuals with low income. 

Author Biography

Upady Hatthasin, Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL)

 Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,

Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL), Chiang Mai,

128 Huay Kaew Road, Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 50300

Email: UHT@rmutl.ac.th

References

[1] Pratch, P. and Upady, H. (2016), The Talking Color Identifying Device for the Visually Impaired, paper presented in the 13th Meeting of ECTI-CON 2016, , June 28th - July 1st, 2016, RMUTL, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
[2] Upady, H. and Nattawat, P. (2018). Development of an Obstacle-warning Glasses for the Visually Impaired Student”, RMUTL Engineering Journal, vol.2(3), September-December 2018, pp. 15-25.
[3] Upady, H. and Thanakorn, K. (2018), Assessment on A Talking Device of Weight and Height for the Visually Impaired Students, paper presented in the 4th IEEE international Women in Engineering (WIE) Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering 2018 (IEEE WIECON-ECE 2018), 14–16 December 2018, Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand.
[4] Siriporn, W. and staff, the Northern School for the Blind under the Patronage of the Queen, [online], [Available: Febuary 19, 2018] http://www.cmblind.org
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[8] Rotary-Encoder, [Online: 10 March, 2018] http://www.bmesensor.blogspot.com/p/potentiometer-or-potentiometric.html
[9] WTV020M01 U-disk audio voice sound player Micro SD Card module โมดูลเสียง, [Online: 10 March, 2018] www.micontechlab.com/product/271/1x-wtv020m01-u-disk-audio-voice-sound-player-micro-sd-card-module
[10] Speaker 8 Ohm 0.25W, [Online: 10 March, 2018] http://commandronestore.com/products/bi100.php
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Published

2019-12-28

How to Cite

Hatthasin, U. (2019). Assessment on Design of a Talking Distance Measuring Wheel for the Visually Impaired Students: doi: 10.14456/mijet.2019.11. Engineering Access, 5(2), 70–74. Retrieved from https://ph02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/mijet/article/view/10.14456.mijet.2019.11

Issue

Section

Research Papers