Ultrasonic Sunglassess: Object Detector using Ultrasonic Sensor for Blind Person

Nurhidayah Binti Md Isa1, Masnani Binti Mohamed2

Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia 84600 Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, Johor Darul Takzim 1 hidaya_mi@yahoo.com 2masnani@uthm.edu.my
Abstract It is common situation when people seeing a blind person used walking stick to detect the obstacles in front of them. The design of this project is to allow this person to detect the obstacles at the head level as well. This device provided guidance towards the blind person and covered the limitation used of the walking stick. The ultrasonic ranging system was used to measure the range of the obstacles around user. The Programmable Interface Controller (PIC) was used to control the input and output of the device. The detection of the obstacles distance was done by the sensor with the reflection of the ultrasonic wave. The time of the wave reflected used to calculate the range of the obstacle. The device was vibrated when the obstacle presents either at the left side, right side or at the back of the user. The frequency of the vibration depended on the distance of the obstacle. The vibrator was set at the right side of the sunglasses for user easy to respond. The device had two significance parts, one is the sunglasses with sensor and vibrator, and the other one is a box with the circuit of the device. The device vibrated once if an obstacle has been detected at the right side of the user, if an obstacle has been detected at the left side, the vibrator vibrated twice and if an obstacle detected at the back of user, the vibrator vibrate three times to alert the user. However, if both sensors detected an obstacle either from left, right or back side of user, the vibrator kept vibrated continuously until user respond to avoid the obstacle nearer them. Keywords-Ultrasonic; microcontroller; programming

sunglasses, thus, it had reduce the thing needs to be carried by them. II. PROBLEM STATEMENT

Most blind person used cane to help them to move around the places but this is not enough for them. The main reason is the obstacle on the head level is hard to be detected using cane. Due to this problem, an extra mobility aids is needed for the blind person to have a safety move. The walking stick, for example, is unable to detect the location of the obstacle at the head level. By designing this project, it helped to alert user to avoid the obstacle where placed at the same level of his head, in front of them. This device is designed mounted on the the sunglasses for their comfortable to use it. Some devices in the market also sold in expensive prices even though the application is really helpful. Plus, they have no proper salary to support their life due to their incapability. As a solution, this device is designed with a low cost equipment and suitable for this type of user to used it. III. OBJECTIVE

I.

INTRODUCTION

There are lots of different electronic products in the market that can be used by a blind people to guide them. For example, Miniguide (ultrasonic mobility aid), ultrasonic ranging system cane and mobility aid using artificial vision. However, it sold in the market prices is quite expensive for these mobility and most of them have the limitation to detect the obstacle at the head level. The device designed in this project was a mobility aid for the blind people to detect the obstacle around them at the head level. An ultrasonic sensor and vibrator was mounted to the sunglasses. The sensors were fixed at the left, right and at the back side of the sunglasses. It would alert the user due to position of the obstacle whether on left, right or at the back. Besides that, the vibrator was vibrated in different frequency due to the location of the obstacle. By the aid of the device, blind people can move around safer. The ultrasonic ranging system was used because it is low cost and the range of the sensor is wide enough to detect the obstacle. The sunglasses has been chosen because most of blind people wear

The objectives of this project are : 1) to design a low price mobility aid device. 2) to design a device that can helps blind person to detect the obstacle at the head level. 3) to design a device that is able to alert the user about the position of the obstacle at the left, right and back of them. 4) to design a device that can help the user to know the distance of the object from them and avoid from crash. IV. SCOPE OF PROJECT

This project were included both parts hardware and software. For hardware, this device is made in two part, ranging system circuit and sunglasses with sensor and vibrator. The range of the ranging system is from 0 to 5 meter because normally the blind person moving slowly and they able to avoid the obstacle which is near to them. For the software part consists of MPLAB IDE version 8.00 to program the PIC and Proteus to simulate the circuits.

V.

METHODOLOGY

A. Hardware development Hardware parts are the physical view of the design and the circuit for the device. The design of the physical view has two parts; sunglasses and a box. The sunglasses consisted of the ultrasonic sensors and the vibrator. Whereby, the box is used to place the devices circuit. The sensors were placed at the frame of the sunglasses and the pager motor (vibrator) put at the right side of the sunglasses for the user responded once the obstacle has been detected. The circuit used a PIC to control the input and the output of the circuit. On the other hand, once the obstacles has been detected, the pager motor responded due to the signal produced. The PIC performed the calculation of the distance of the object and sent a signal to the pager motor. The pager motor was activated and vibrated to inform user location of the obstacle. 1) Block Diagram In Fig. 1 shows the input and output of the circuit design. Path of the processes were shown through the block diagram. An obstacle has been detected by ultrasonic sensor. The signal sent to microcontroller, microcontroller received the signal and give an output to pager motor to reflect.

Figure 2 : LM7805 voltage regulator

3) Ultrasonic Ranging System In this project Maxsonar-EZ1, high performance sonar range finder as in Fig. 3, has been chose to use as the sensor. This type of sensors offers very short to long-range detection and ranging with it small package as well as low power consumption. It detected objects from 0-inches to 254-inches or 6.45 meters.

Obstacle

Figure 3 : Maxsonar-EZ1

Ultrasonic sensor

Microcontroller

The advantage of using this sensors are its low cost sonar ranger, the size is small compare to other sensor, there is no central blind spot, lowest power ranger which make it excellent for multiple sensor or battery based and the ability of the sensor to reports the range reading directly so it frees up user processor. Three ultrasonic sensors have been pin up to microcontroller. Pin AN (Output) from sensor has been connected to pin 3 microcontroller to give an output of the sensor. Pin +5 V has been connected to Vdd of microcontroller and pin GND (Ground) has been connected to Vss of microcontroller to return for the DC (Direct Current) power supply. 4) Motor Control Circuit The current from the output pin of PIC is very small, it is about 3 milliampere (mA) which may not be able to run a motor. 5 V supply from PIC is too large because the voltage required by the pager motor is only 1V to 3 V. A transistor was applied due to the Collector to Emitter voltage drop, the PIC able to control the pager motor. This circuit is a part of the main board, so the circuit is located in the casing. The motor was connected with the circuit through the rainbow cable. Fig. 4 shows the brief explanation about the connection in between transistor and pager motor.

Vibrator (pager motor)

Figure 1 : Block diagram of the project

2) Power Supply Power supply circuit is built to supply +9 V to the circuit and +5 V to drive the microcontroller and sensor circuit. As in Fig. 2, it consists of LM7805 voltage regulator. Alternating Current (AC) to Direct Current (DC) adaptor will be plugged by a connector. The voltage regulator is producing 5 volts output. Since the main power source is 9 V battery to acquired a 5 V supply, the regulator was used. The capacitor in the circuit was used to stabilize the input and the output of the regulator. This circuit was able to supply a constant 5 V DC voltage to the ultrasonic sunglasses system.

Start Initialize PIC Right=0 Left=0 Back=0

Capture ON Figure 4: Connection between transistor and pager motor Right sensor detect? No Left sensor detect? No Back sensor detect? No All sensor detect? Figure 5 : Block Diagram of microcontroller Yes Vibrate continuously Yes Vibrate three times Yes Vibrate twice Yes Vibrate once

5) Microcontroller Microcontroller is the main brain of the circuit and the diagram in Fig. 5 shows the input and output of microcontroller. The microcontroller from the Microchip Company, PIC16F877A is used for processing the data and control the input output of the circuit in this project. This PIC has the function of analogue to digital converter, this had help to reduce the size and decrease the cost of the device.

B. Software implementation In this part, software designing process consists of a programming for microcontroller to operate the whole sensors detection and stopping system. The programming in this project can divided into two main parts. The first part is the main body programming and second part is detection programming. This programming is written using the assembly language technique by using the MPLAB IDE. Fig. 6 shows the main circuit programming flow chart. The objective of this system is to detect the obstacle around user and alerted user by vibrating if obstacle is nearer them. Once the obstacle is near to the user, if the obstacle is at the right side of the user, the vibrator vibrated one times, if the obstacle is a the left side of the user, the vibrator vibrated two times and if the obstacles is detected at the backside of the user, the vibrator vibrated three times as well as buzzer ringing to alert user. If the obstacle is at the both side of user or any obstacle around them is nearer, the vibrator kept vibrated until user avoid it.

LED ON

Buzzer ON

End Figure 6. Main program flowchart

VI.

RESULT AND ANALYSIS

The result here will include the pre-calculation, simulation result and experimental result. A. Software In Fig.7 shows the schematic of the testing circuit. The circuit designed was different with actual circuit because Proteus software did not provided an ultrasonic sensor. In the tested circuit, the signal received was replaced by using the signal generator in Proteus. The signal for input and output was observed through the virtual oscilloscope in the software. It would be able to compare the input signal and output signal for any pin of PIC. The signal was using the PIC through programming.

Periodic time =

___1____ 49.34 Hz

= 0.0203 sec

(1)

Figure 7: Schematic of testing circuit

1) Power supply circuit The output voltage that used for this project is 9 V battery and 5 volts supply to microcontroller. Fig. 8 shows the result of 5 V power supply from the Multisim simulation software. The DC voltage is generated from IC 78xx family. 5 V DC voltage generated from IC 7805 voltage regulator.

Figure 10 : Waveform output from distance 3 m Periodic time = ___1____ 4.025 Hz = 0.2484 sec (2)

As a conclusion, when distance is far, the signal receive is high from obstacle to the sensor. 3) Analysis to check the angle of the ultrasonic sensor An analysis has been done through the sensor. First analysis is to detect the obstacle at the distance of 1 m to prove that this sensor can detect obstacle from different height.
Table 1 : Data receive for distance 1 m Height of sensor (m) Height of obstacle (m) 0.4 0.6 Angle () 21.80 30.95 38.68 0 50.19 Detect/ Not detect No Yes Yes Yes No

Figure 8 : Simulation result for 5 V power supply 2) Waveform signal

0.8 0.8 1.0 1.2

Figure 9 : Waveform output from distance 1 m As in Fig. 9, is a waveform output from sensor 1. Positive probe has been connected to 5 V power supply and negative probe has been connected AN (output) of sensor. The output from signal waveform is sine wave.

Figure 11 : Graph angle vs height of obstacle for distance 1 m

From Table 1, an ultrasonic sensor has been put at 0.8 m height. This position is constant. An obstacle has been put at 0.4 m from the floor to test whether the sensor can detect the obstacle. The result is negative. The height of the obstacle was increased to 0.6 m. At this height, a positive result has been get. Sensor can detect an obstacle at this height and give an output beep for one times. Then, the height for the sensor has been changed to 0.8 m and 1.0 m. The result is positive where the sensor give a respond at both height. For height 1.2 m the result is negative. No respond has been get from the sensor at this height. A calculation has been done to check the angle for this sensor. The formula as in (3) has been used to get the different angle of the height.
Figure 13 : Graph angle vs height fro distance 3 m

Cos = __Sinus__ Hipotenus

(3)

The result for the calculation has been put in Table 1. From Fig. 11, the angle was 0 because the height is perpendicular to the distance to detect the obstacle. The signal waveform received from the sensor as shown in Fig. 12.

From Table 2, shows the data receive for distance at 3 m. For this experiment, the sensor has been put at the same height from previous experiment which at the 0.8 m height from the floor. For this experiment, when the height of obstacle is 0.4 m and 1.2 m the result is negative. The sensor could not detected any obstacle at this height. It is different result when the obstacle is put at 0.6 m the sensor give output beep for one times. The result is same for 0.8 m and 1.0 m height. Calculation has been done by used formula in (3). This time the angle is much more smaller than the value of angle calculate for distance 1 m. Compare both result from this two graph, when the distance is 1 m, the sensor can detect the obstacle at the range of angle from 30 to 40 which is small range of angle. When the distance is 3 m, the sensor can detect the obstacle at the range of angle in between 10 to 20 of angle. Both results shows that this sensor can detect the obstacle at angle 10. 4) Analysis to check the distance of sensor can detect the obstacle It was important to know how far this sensor can detect the obstacle. Another experiment has been done to check the distance. Fig. 14 shows how the experiment has been done. The sensor has been put at constants height. The height of the sensor from the floor is 1.0 m. The iron board is the obstacle in this experiment. When the obstacle is at distance 1 m from sensor, the output given from the vibrator is one beep. It means, the obstacle has been detected. The iron board than has been moved to the distance 2 m. The vibrator respond by vibrating one beep. It means the sensor can detected the obstacle at 2 m. The result for this experiment as in Table 3.

Figure 12 : Signal waveform for the height 1 m at distance 1 m Table 2 : Data receive for distance 3 m Height of sensor (m) Height of obstacle (m) 0.4 0.6 0.8 0.8 1.0 1.2 Angle () 7.658 11.27 14.94 18.42 21.80 Detect/ Not detect No Yes Yes Yes No

Table 3 : Data receive to detect the distance Height of sensor (m) Distance (m) 1 2 1.0 3 4 5 6 Detect/ Not detect Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No

The circuit is running however do not meet the requirement because only one sensor has been used. Besides that, there is no switch button for user to ON or OFF the vibrator. This circuit is not practical to be used by the user.

As a conclusion, the sensor can detect the obstacle from distance less than 5 m. From this data, the sensor is suitable to be used to detect an obstacle for blind person.

Figure 16 : First circuit

The circuit in Fig. 17 is the circuit used in this project. The circuits have three sensors, one switch, one buzzer and power supply to completed the circuit and detect the obstacle. Once the obstacle has been detected, the buzzer ON as well as LED ON as in Fig. 18 pager motor vibrate in Fig. 19.

Figure 14 : Experiment to detect the distance of obstacle from sensor

B. Hardware The spectacles have three sensors at the right, left and the back side of the sunglasses as shown in Fig. 15. The side view is shown the pager motor (vibrator) is located at the right side near the ear of the user for them to easy feel the vibration and quickly respond to the obstacle. The components at the spectacle are connected using rainbow wire.

Figure 17 : Main board of ultrasonic range detector

Figure 18: LED ON

Figure 15 : Side view of the spectacle.

C. Experiment The following is the experimental result of the device. The circuit shown in Fig. 16 is the first circuit design in this project.

project. Special thanks to university which provide a place for me to complete this project. Lastly, thank you to all my friends who gave me some help when I have a problem on technical work even when they are busy with their project too. REFERENCES
[1] Figure 19: Pager motor vibrate [2] [3] [4] Ce, H. C. (2005). Ultrasonic ranging system for the blind. University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia: Degrees Thesis. Valentin Magori (1994). Ultrasonic Sensors in Air. Retrieved May 1994, from http://www.ieee-uffc.org/ultrasonics/teaching/u9410471.pdf Morar, S. I., Aggoun, A. and Morar, M. D. (1998). Ultrasonic ranging system a simulation study, pp. AD25-AD30 Cytron Technologies (2010). MAXSONAR-EZ1 Ultrasonic Sensor. Retrieved January 10, 2010, from http://www.seeedstudio.com/depot/datasheet/LVEZ1.pdf Cheeke, J. D. N. (2002). Fundamentals and application of ultrasonic waves, Montreal, Canada: CRC Press. Tan, C. L. (2005). Ultrasonic ranging system for the blind, University Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia: Degrees Thesis. Kay, L. (2006). K sonar handbook. Retrieved October 9, 2010, at http://www.batforblind.co.nz/manual.pdf Sickle, T. V. (2001). Programming microcontrollers in C, United State of America: LLH Technology Publishing. Bishop, O. (2003). Electronic circuits and systems, Oxford : Newnes. http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/basedefs/math.h.html http://www.ndted.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Ultrasonics/EquipmentTr ans/transducertypes.htm http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_6/chpt_2/8.html Richard H. Barnett, Larry O'Cull, Sarah Alison Cox (2004), Embedded C programming and the Microchip PIC, Volume 1, pp 178, retrieved May 06, 2004, from http://books.google.com.my/books?id=RFLtu4fej00C&pg=PA178&lpg= PA178&dq=fuses+HS+function+in+c+programming&source=bl&ots=ns BkAVdVf&sig=ULvfPszfw0816jn1y6_uPljO9I8&hl=en&ei=w1bCTtDhH IrQrQee75XgCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0 CCoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=false Microchip Technology Inc. (2009). Datasheet PIC16F877A Search. Retrieved January 1, 2010 from http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/devicedoc/39582b.pdf NDT Education Resource Center. (2001-2011). The Collaboration for Education. Retrieved July, 2001 from http://www.ndted.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Ultrasonics/EquipmentTr ans/transducertypes.htm

VII. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION A. Conclusion As a conclusion, this project is very suitable to be used for blind person as one of their extra mobility to detect an obstacle at the head level. This project has been design to be a low price mobility for blind person. All sensors operated to detect obstacle at the right, left and front of user which can help user to alert for any obstacle around them. Plus, this low cost mobility aid maybe used by user as one of their needed to every movement they take. As their eyes was their inability to move, this project would help user to move at the head level. It would be easy for user to avoid crash because this project can detect an obstacle at the right, left and front of user. B. Recommendation For the recommendation, this project can be upgrade by using small industrial ultrasonic sensor. It provides very short to long-range detection and ranging. This sensor has a new high power output along with real-time auto calibration for changing conditions (temperature, voltage or acoustic or electrical noise) that ensure it receive the most reliable ranging data every reading taken. The power supply can be change into rechargeable battery which can be used solar to recharge power. So that, it will be low cost to replace the battery once after they used it. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Ms Masnani Binti Mohamed, who inspired me to complete this project from the first semester with her guidance and advice through this project. A very thankfully to my family member, who always give me a lot of support physically and mentally until I finished this

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