RU2451501C2 - Method of blind person orientation and device for implementing it - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention refers to orientation systems and may be used in orientation systems for blind and visually impaired people. A method consists in the fact that a walking stick of a blind person is provided with a fork wheel and a GPS receiver wherein blind person's root data are preset; current position data are worked out, a mismatch signal of the current and preset position data is determined, and the walking stick is rolled in front. Besides, the walking stick is equipped with a fork turn drive and a drive control unit, the blind person's current position and preset rout data mismatch signal is supplied onto the drive control unit to follow the walking stick. A device consists of the walking stick with the fork and the wheel, comprising the mounted GPS receiver, and also provided with the fork turn drive. An output of the GPS receiver is connected with an input of the fork turn drive.

EFFECT: use of the invention enables facilitating blind person's orientation.

4 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of orientation systems.

Currently, in the world practice, a method based on GPS navigation technology is used to orient blind people. A blind person receives sound prompts about his location and direction of movement from a GPS navigation system. The developments of a number of foreign companies in this field are known. In particular, Human Ware has developed the Trekker 3 blind orientation system based on GPS technology. With the help of sound prompts that are generated in the GPS navigation system, a blind person navigates in space, see www.gisa.ru sites. and www.12v-clab.ru.

The disadvantage of this method is the difficulty for a blind person to perceive sound prompts during movement, in particular, expressed in the fact that it is necessary to count in the mind the number of steps that are set by the prompt. This forces the blind person to constantly be in a concentrated state during movement to correctly perceive and implement sound prompts, which leads to fatigue and mistakes.

Another way to orient blind people is the well-known method using a cane, which allows them to overcome obstacles and move along familiar routes. (See www.rgbs.ru, www.skbs.ru, “For the Glory of the White Cane”, Our Life Magazine, 2005, No. 11).

But this method does not allow a blind person to navigate in an unfamiliar environment.

Typically, the GPS satellite navigation system and a cane are used together to orient a blind person in space.

As a prototype of the invention, both of these methods are selected.

The aim of the present invention is to provide an orientation method that provides a blind person with comfortable movement along any unfamiliar routes using GPS navigation technology and a device for its implementation.

According to the invention, this goal is achieved by the fact that a wheel is mounted on the lower end of the cane, the cane is rolled on the wheel in front of it, a wheel orientation control signal is generated according to information from the GPS satellite navigation system, this signal is controlled by wheel turns and follows the cane in the direction of its movement.

A diagram of a device for implementing the method is shown in Fig. 1-3.

Figure 1-3 shows:

1 - a blind person;

2 - a cane;

3 - GPS receiver;

4 - plug;

5 - wheel;

6 - drive reversal fork;

7 - the second wheel;

8 - wheel traction drive;

9 - wheel speed control unit.

The essence of the method is as follows.

In order for the cane to indicate to the blind person the correct direction of movement in space, it is necessary to ensure the movement of the cane in the required direction.

To do this, a wheel fork reversal drive is installed on the canes, the actual current location of the blind person is continuously measured by the GPS receiver and compared on a digital map of the GPS receiver with the desired travel route, which is previously entered into the digital map. The mismatch signal of the current and predetermined location is fed to the fork turning drive and the wheel is turned in the desired direction. When moving, it will move along a given route.

The cane will also move behind the wheel, and behind it the blind person who rolls it.

Thus, controlling the turns of the wheel fork fixed on the cane from the GPS receiver ensure its movement along a given route, which will allow a blind person pushing the cane to easily navigate in unfamiliar areas of space.

Fig. 1 shows a blind person 1 holding a cane 2. A GPS receiver 3 is mounted on the cane 2. At the end of the cane 2, a fork 4 is mounted, in which the wheel 5 is mounted. A fork 6 turning drive is mounted on the axis of rotation of the fork 4.

Figure 2 shows a device with a second wheel 7 introduced, identical to the first wheel 5 and mounted on the same axis of rotation with the first wheel.

Fig. 3 shows a device with a drive unit for the traction of the wheel 8 and a unit for controlling the speed of the wheel 9 connected to it and mounted on the handle of a cane 2.

The operation of the device depicted in Fig. 1 occurs as follows.

At the starting point, a blind person 1 enters the endpoint of his route into the GPS receiver 3. Currently, data entry devices for blind people in a GPS receiver have been developed. GPS receiver 3 paves the path of a blind person 1 at a given point. After that, a blind person starts moving by pushing a cane 2 in front of him, at the end of which a fork 4 with a wheel 5 is installed. During GPS movement, the receiver 3 determines the actual current coordinates - the latitude and longitude of the location of the blind person 1 and the direction of his movement, and calculates the mismatch of the current coordinates and the given route that the GPS receiver laid. The mismatch signal Δ is supplied to the drive of the turn of the fork 6, as a result of which the fork 6 turns the wheel 5 and displays a cane, and after it the person pushing it to a given trajectory. Thus, any deviation from the trajectory of movement will be compensated by turning the fork 4 with the wheel 5. Moreover, the blind person does not receive any indication of the direction of movement, but simply follows the wheel 5, as a guide.

In the device shown in Fig. 2, the second wheel 7 is introduced to provide greater stability of the cane 2 and more stable retention of a given direction during movement by increasing the adhesion of the wheels to the road. When a blind person 1 moves along a predetermined route, both wheels 5 and 7 simultaneously turn in the desired direction when the fork 4 is rotated by the fork 6 turning drive.

In the device shown in Fig. 3, a blind person selects the desired route of travel, then, using the speed control unit 9, sets the required speed and turns on the traction drive of the wheel 8. After that, the device starts moving along the given route. The blind person 1, holding on to the upper end of the cane 2, will move after it to the desired destination.

In the proposed device for the orientation of a blind person, combining a GPS receiver and an automatically controlled steering wheel is simplified and made more understandable for a blind person to interact with a GPS receiver. In this case, the GPS receiver actually acts as a guide, specifying in a tactile way the direction of movement of a blind person along a given route.

The possibility of technical implementation of the proposed method and device for the orientation of a blind person is provided by the following factors:

1. At present, GPS receivers have been developed and used by blind people using accurate digital terrain maps. The accuracy of the method when using the differential mode of the GPS receiver system can be no worse than 1-2 meters.

2. The electromechanical part of the device can be performed on existing small-sized stepper motors.

Calculations show that the mass of the cane together with the electronics can be no more than 1.5-2 kg.

The proposed method and device can be the basis for constructing a number of orientation devices for blind people. They allow you to implement a communication interface with an orientation system that is easily understood by a blind person.

In this method and devices, the domestic GLONAS satellite system can also be used.

In connection with the foregoing, the author asks for a patent for an invention.

Claims (4)

1. The method of orientation of a blind person, consisting in the fact that a wheel with a fork and a GPS receiver are installed on his canes, in which the coordinates of the path of movement of the blind person are set, the coordinates of his current position are generated, the signal of the mismatch of the coordinates of the current and predetermined positions is determined and rolled before a cane, characterized in that the canes are mounted with a fork turn actuator and a control unit of a fork turn actuator, a signal is mismatched with the coordinates of the current position of a blind person and of the route of its movement to the control unit of the fork turning drive and follow the cane in the direction of its movement. 2. The device for implementing the method according to claim 1, containing a cane with a fork and a wheel on which a GPS receiver is installed, characterized in that the device includes a fork turn actuator, while the output of the GPS receiver is connected to the input of the fork turn actuator. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that a second wheel is introduced into it, identical to the first and mounted on the same axis of rotation with the first wheel. 4. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that it includes an electric wheel drive and a wheel speed control unit connected to it, mounted on a cane handle.

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