KR102506265B1 - Navigating apparatus for blind - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a way guidance device for the visually impaired, and according to an embodiment of the present invention, a way guidance device for the visually impaired includes a body portion to which a detachable rod is coupled to one side, and at least one wheel on one side of the body portion. A traveling unit formed to travel on the ground, a communication unit that communicates with an external communication terminal to receive an input of a driving route, and a sensing unit that generates sensing information including the position, moving speed, and proximity of the body to an obstacle; and a control unit that drives the driving unit according to the travel path and stops driving the driving unit when the rod is separated from the body. Accordingly, it is possible to receive a driving route from a visually impaired person and provide safe guidance.

Description

Route guidance device for visually impaired {Navigating apparatus for blind}

The present invention relates to a way guidance device for the visually impaired, and a technology for guiding the way to the visually impaired in an autonomous driving manner is disclosed.

Visually impaired people mostly depend on their sensory senses, such as touch and hearing, to check what is around them and to communicate with others. In general, since visually impaired people judge obstacles with their hands or feet, it is difficult to predict and prevent obstacles or various risks in advance. Even in familiar spaces, there is a risk of collision because it is impossible for visually impaired people to recognize variable and temporary facilities, and it is difficult to use them because they cannot know the location of objects (articles), and there is a risk of tripping over steps. In order to solve this problem, various assistive devices for the visually impaired have been developed.

Among the prior art, Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1654299 (published on September 5, 2016) relates to a cane for the blind and a method for detecting obstacles in a cane for the blind, which detects obstacles in advance when walking by the visually impaired to avoid danger. We are proposing a way to inform. However, in the prior art, there is a limitation that the effect of using the assistive device is insignificant because the design suitable for the characteristics of the visually impaired is not made.

A technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a way guidance device for the visually impaired, which can guide the way safely by receiving a driving route from the visually impaired.

In addition, it is to provide a way guidance device for the visually impaired, in which the visually impaired can manually recognize a road using a rod, and can control a driving direction or driving speed using an inclination of the rod.

In addition, it is to provide a way guidance device for the visually impaired that can identify braille in a non-contact manner.

A way guidance device for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body portion to which a detachable rod is coupled to one side, a driving portion having at least one wheel formed on one side of the body portion to travel on the ground, and external communication A communication unit that communicates with a terminal to receive an input of a driving route, a sensing unit that generates sensing information including the position of the body, moving speed, and proximity to an obstacle, and drives the driving unit according to the driving route, the rod includes a control unit to stop the driving of the driving unit when it is separated from the body unit.

In addition, the sensing unit may sense the inclination of the rod to generate the sensing information, and the control unit may adjust the movement speed of the body through the driving unit according to the inclination of the rod.

In addition, the sensing unit detects the distance to the obstacle by outputting a first signal of infrared light and a second signal of ultrasonic wave, and the first distance information according to the first signal and the second distance information according to the second signal are When the predetermined value is exceeded, the first distance information may be determined as a distance to the obstacle.

In addition, it is detachably coupled to the rod, and when coupled with the rod, detects the proximity to the obstacle at a preset height from the body, and generates an alarm signal in the form of vibration or sound when approaching the obstacle within a preset value. It may further include an alarm unit that outputs.

In addition, the control unit compares the first proximity information with the obstacle detected by the sensing unit and the second proximity information with the obstacle detected by the alarm unit, and stops the driving unit when the error is equal to or greater than a preset value. and can guide detours.

Accordingly, it is possible to receive a driving route from a visually impaired person and provide safe guidance.

In addition, a visually impaired person can manually recognize a road using a rod, and a driving direction or driving speed can be controlled using a slope of the rod.

Also, braille can be identified in a non-contact manner.

1 is a block diagram of a way guidance device for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram for explaining that an alarm unit is further included in the guidance device for the visually impaired according to FIG. 1 .
Figure 3 is an exemplary view for explaining that the rod is separated and used in the way guidance device for the visually impaired according to Figure 1.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary diagram for explaining braille recognition by separating an alarm unit from the way guidance device for the visually impaired according to FIG. 1 .

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terms used are terms selected in consideration of functions in the embodiment, and the meaning of the terms may vary depending on the intention of a user or operator or a precedent. Therefore, the meaning of terms used in the embodiments to be described later, when specifically defined in the present specification, follows the definition, and when there is no specific definition, it should be interpreted as a meaning generally recognized by those skilled in the art.

1 is a configuration diagram of a way guidance device for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram for explaining that an alarm unit is further included in the way guidance device according to FIG. 1, and FIG. is an exemplary view for explaining that the rod is separated and used in the way guidance device for the visually impaired according to FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 explains that the alarm unit is separated and recognizes Braille in the way guidance device for the visually impaired according to FIG. This is an example for doing this.

1 to 4, a way guidance device 100 for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a body part 110, a driving part 120, a communication part 130, a sensing part 140, and a control part. (150).

The body part 110 is formed in a box shape and accommodates the driving part 120, the communication part 130, the sensing part 140, and the control part 150. An accommodation space may be formed inside the body portion 110 . The body portion 110 may also be formed in an airtight structure capable of waterproofing and dustproofing. A detachable rod 10 is coupled to one side of the body portion 110. In this case, it is preferable that an accommodation groove into which the rod 10 can be inserted is formed in the body portion 110 . When the body portion 110 is coupled with the rod 10, it is preferable to form a pressing member that presses the outer surface so that the rod 10 does not escape. The rod 10 may have a variable length, and may be coupled so as to be rotatable in front and rear and left and right directions when coupled with the body portion 110.

In addition, a battery may be formed inside the body portion 110 . The battery is formed in the form of a secondary battery and can be charged or discharged. In this case, a plurality of batteries may be mounted, and a cooler may be formed to cool the batteries. The body part 110 may output a separation signal when the battery is separated.

The driving part 120 travels on the ground with at least one wheel formed on one side of the body part 110 . The traveling unit 120 includes a motor that drives wheels. The traveling unit 120 is driven under the control of a control unit 150 to be described later. The driving unit 120 can be automatically driven without a user applying an external force. The driving unit 120 may adjust the driving force by detecting the inclination of the body unit 110 . For example, the rotational speed of the motor may be increased when the slope is uphill, and the rotational speed of the motor may be decreased when the slope is downhill. Accordingly, the visually impaired can safely move while relying on the rod 10 .

In addition, the driving unit 120 may adjust the moving direction or speed according to the inclination of the rod 10 . The rod 10 is being held by the visually impaired and guides the movement. For example, when a visually impaired person rotates the rod 10 to the right, the driving unit 120 may move to the right. This is to enable the visually impaired to find another route when the condition of the walking road is inconvenient even though they cannot see. The driving unit 120 may increase the speed when the slope of the rod 10 exceeds a preset value. This is what the visually impaired person wants to move quickly, and when the rod 10 is perpendicular to the road surface, the driving unit 120 may stop driving.

In addition, the driving part 120 stops driving when the rod 10 is separated from the body part 110 . This is to stop the motion when the user, the visually impaired, temporarily stops or moves inside the building. In this case, the traveling unit 120 may stand by in a stopped state at the current location. When approaching the rod 10 of the visually impaired within a predetermined distance, it is also possible to guide the visually impaired to find the body part 110 by emitting a notification sound. The driving part 120 starts driving when the rod 10 is inserted into the body part 110 again.

The communication unit 130 communicates with the external communication terminal 20 to receive an input of a driving route. Here, the communication terminal 20 means a terminal used by the visually impaired. When the travel route is input from the communication terminal 20, the communication unit 130 transmits it to the control unit 150. The communication unit 130 may also communicate with the load 10 . The communication unit 130 may generate a notification sound when the rod 10 approaches. This is to guide the visually impaired when they want to reconnect it after separating the rod 10 from the body. The communication unit 130 may transmit the location of the body unit 110 to an external management server in real time. This is to notify the outside of the movement information of the visually impaired. Accordingly, the family or guardian of the visually impaired person can remotely check the movement information of the visually impaired person.

The sensing unit 140 generates sensing information including the position of the body unit 110, the moving speed, and proximity to an obstacle. For example, the detector 140 detects the position of the body 110 using GPS. The sensor 140 detects the moving speed of the body 110 using a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The sensing unit 140 detects proximity to surrounding obstacles using an illuminance sensor, an infrared sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor. The sensing unit 140 detects movement when the body unit 110 moves. The sensing unit 140 enables the visually impaired person to check whether or not they are going on a predetermined path based on the motion information of the body part 110 and to avoid obstacles.

In this case, the electrode 11 is formed at one end of the rod 10 to sense whether or not it is in contact with the body portion 110 . For example, when a visually impaired person separates the rod 10 from the body 110 and contacts the floor, electricity is not energized through the electrode 11, and thus the detachment can be detected. When the rod 10 is coupled to the body portion 110, it can be seen that the rod 10 is coupled by being energized through the electrode 11. Accordingly, it is possible to more accurately determine whether the rod 10 is coupled.

Also, the sensing unit 140 may generate sensing information by sensing the tilt of the rod 10 . The sensor 140 recognizes the inclination of the rod 10 as driving control information for the visually impaired and controls it. For example, the direction may be changed according to the inclination of the rod 10 or the speed may be increased or decreased according to the degree of inclination. The sensing unit 140 detects the inclination of the rod 10 in real time and outputs it to the control unit 150. The sensing unit 140 may also detect whether or not the body 110 and the rod 10 are in contact. When the rod 10 is separated from the body 110, the sensing unit 140 generates separation information and outputs it to the control unit 150.

In addition, the sensor 140 may detect the distance to the obstacle by outputting a first signal of infrared light and a second signal of ultrasonic wave. In this case, when the first distance information according to the first signal and the second distance information according to the second signal exceed a preset value, the sensor 140 may additionally acquire a vision image to obtain third distance information. In this case, the controller 150 may compare the first distance information and the second distance information and finally determine the average value as the distance to the obstacle.

The controller 150 may adjust the moving speed of the body part 110 through the driving part 120 according to the inclination of the rod 10 . The control unit 150 may detect the inclination of the rod 10 from the sensing unit 140 . For example, the control unit 150 may increase the moving speed of the body unit 110 through the driving unit 120 when the rod 10 is inclined toward the front of the body unit 110 . The control unit 150 may reduce the moving speed of the body unit 110 through the driving unit 120 when the rod 10 is inclined toward the rear of the body unit 110 . When the rod 10 is inclined toward the side of the body 110, the control unit 150 may change the direction to the inclined direction.

Also, the control unit 150 may drive the driving unit 120 based on the driving route obtained from the communication unit 130 . In this case, it is also possible to reset the route so that the blind can use a route with fewer obstacles. The controller 150 may also reset the route by controlling the driving unit 120 when departing from the driving route based on the position and moving speed of the body 110 . The control unit 150 drives the driving unit 120, but may stop driving the driving unit 120 when the rod 10 is separated from the body unit 110. Since this is a case where a visually impaired person wants to manually find a way using only the rod 10, driving is stopped.

In addition, the controller 150 may control the driving unit 120 to avoid the obstacle when the sensing unit 140 detects the distance to the obstacle. For example, when the distance to an obstacle is detected by outputting a first signal that is infrared and a second signal that is ultrasonic, the controller 150 weights first distance information according to the first signal to determine the distance to the obstacle. It is also possible to decide In other words, if the first distance information according to the first signal and the second distance information according to the second signal exceed a preset value, the first distance information may be determined as the distance to the obstacle.

In addition, when third distance information is obtained by additionally obtaining a vision image from the sensor 140, the control unit 150 compares the first distance information, the second distance information, and the third distance information to obtain an average distance from the obstacle. The final decision can also be made by distance. Accordingly, by accurately calculating the distance to the obstacle, it is possible to minimize the visually impaired person's stumbling or being injured.

Meanwhile, the way guidance device 100 for the visually impaired according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include an alarm unit 160. The alarm unit 160 is coupled to the rod 10 in a detachable manner. When coupled with the rod 10, the alarm unit 160 detects proximity to an obstacle at a preset height from the body unit 110. In other words, the distance to the obstacle can be detected through the sensing unit 140 on the ground, and the distance to the obstacle can be detected through the alarm unit 160 at the waist level of the user. This can improve driving stability for the visually impaired by detecting obstacles at different heights from the ground.

In this case, the controller 150 may compare first proximity information with an obstacle detected by the sensor 140 and second proximity information with an obstacle detected by the alarm unit 160 . The control unit 150 may stop the driving unit 120 and guide a detour when an error between the first proximity information and the second proximity information is equal to or greater than a preset value. This is to improve safety by bypassing the route itself when an obstacle that is a danger to the visually impaired is detected.

In addition, the alarm unit 160 may output an alarm signal in the form of vibration or sound when an obstacle is approached within a preset value. The alarm signal may be output loud enough so that the visually impaired can hear it, or may be output in the form of a vibration signal. This is to make it easier for the visually impaired to check. In this case, the vibration unit 161 is formed on the handle so that the visually impaired can immediately check. In addition, the speaker 162 is formed in front and rear and left and right so that other than the visually impaired, ordinary people passing around can also hear it.

In addition, the alarm unit 160 may further include a contact unit 163 . The contact unit 163 is a means capable of acquiring surface protrusion information. This is to allow the visually impaired to identify braille displayed inside a building or on a sign. In this case, the visually impaired person can contact the contact unit 163 of the alarm unit 160 with braille to obtain the braille at the protruding part and output the identified information through the speaker 162 . This is to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, etc., in the case of Braille characters formed in public facilities, when many people use them. In other words, braille can be recognized in a non-contact manner by replacing the fingers of the blind with the contact portion 163 .

In addition, the alarm unit 160 may further include an image acquisition unit 164. The image acquisition unit 164 acquires an image of braille. When a contact is sensed from the contact unit 163, braille is recognized by analyzing images before and after the contact. This is to use an image to compensate for incomplete braille identification by the contact unit 163 . In this case, the image acquisition unit 164 may measure the depth like a stereo camera, but is not necessarily limited thereto. The alarm unit 160 compares the first identification information of braille by the contact unit 163 with the second identification information of braille by the image acquisition unit 164 . The alarm unit 160 may determine information close to the preset vocabulary information among the first identification information and the second identification information as the final identification information. Accordingly, the visually impaired can identify braille in a non-contact manner.

In the above, the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments described with reference to the drawings, but is not limited thereto. Therefore, the present invention should be interpreted by the description of the claims intended to cover obvious modifications that can be derived from the described examples.

100: guide device
110: body part
120: driving unit
130: Ministry of Communication
140: sensing unit
150: control unit
160: alarm unit
161: vibration unit
162: speaker
163: contact
164: image acquisition unit
10 : load
11: electrode
20: communication terminal

Claims (5)

A body portion to which a detachable rod is coupled to one side;
a driving unit having at least one wheel formed on one side of the body unit to travel on the ground;
a communication unit that communicates with an external communication terminal and receives an input of a driving route;
a sensing unit that generates sensing information including a position of the body, a moving speed, and a degree of proximity to an obstacle;
a control unit that drives the driving unit according to the traveling route and stops driving the driving unit when the rod is separated from the body; and
It is detachably coupled to the rod, detects the proximity to the obstacle at a preset height from the body when coupled with the rod, and outputs an alarm signal in the form of vibration or sound when approaching the obstacle within a preset value. and an alarm unit for identifying the Braille characters by contacting the contact unit and outputting the Braille characters through a speaker. According to claim 1,
the sensor,
Detecting the inclination of the rod to generate the sensing information;
The control unit,
A way guide device for the visually impaired that adjusts the moving speed of the body part through the driving part according to the inclination of the rod. According to claim 1,
the sensor,
A first signal, which is an infrared light, and a second signal, which is an ultrasonic wave, are output to detect the distance to the obstacle, and when the first distance information according to the first signal and the second distance information according to the second signal exceed a preset value, A way guidance device for the visually impaired that determines the first distance information as a distance to the obstacle. delete According to claim 1,
The control unit,
The first proximity information with the obstacle detected by the sensing unit is compared with the second proximity information with the obstacle detected by the alarm unit, and when the error is greater than or equal to a preset value, the driving unit is stopped and a detour route is set. Guidance device for the visually impaired.

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