Clear Step

What it does

While mostly effective for blind navigation, white canes leave users vulnerable to hazards above waist height like tree branches and signage. To mitigate this, Clear Step provides improved spatial awareness via hazard detection and intuitive tactile feedback.

Your inspiration

For visually impaired individuals, collisions above waist height are common yet under-addressed. Research shows that 13% of blind pedestrians experience head-level accidents monthly. This creates anxiety and can ultimately lead to reduced independence.
Many smart mobility aids fall short by attempting to replace the cane, being cumbersome, overwhelming users with technology or giving feedback that is difficult to interpret. This presented the challenge to improve spatial awareness and hazard detection without replacing established cane navigation skills.

How it works

Clear Step integrates precise forward and head-height obstacle detection with intuitive tactile feedback. Vibration in the handle alerts users of head-height hazards while a set of pins actuate under the index finger, indicating the distance of upcoming obstacles. The unobtrusive design takes the form of a long cane for social acceptability and ease of use. Unlike other smart aids, Clear Step extends the existing skills of cane users without adding confusing technology or feedback.
Overwhelmingly positive responses were received from blind participants involved with prototype testing.
"For many cane users this is life changing and I don’t say that lightly. The spatial information [Clear Step] gives me is information I’ve never had access to before." - Brent Franklin (blind tester)

Design process

An Arduino prototype was developed first to test key functions. Early testing showed vibration was difficult to interpret for distance information and reliable distance sensing required significant research.
Effective head-height hazard detection required a sensor pointing up from near the cane tip with wiring through the folding shaft. Brainstorming, sketching and multiple 3D printed prototypes led to a compact folding hinge with an integrated wire passthrough.
Handle ergonomics and tactile feedback placement was explored through consultation with blind participants, revealing most long cane users place their index finger along a flat section of the handle. This made it an ideal location for tactile feedback.
The tactile pin concept emerged from brainstorming and was refined through research, prototyping and user testing. This evolved into a row of servo-actuated pins that provide intuitive distance feedback without requiring users to learn vibration patterns.
Extensive component research informed the selection of sensors, microcontroller, battery, power management and actuators. The final prototype integrated these systems into a compact long cane form, requiring multiple iterations to package the electronics, wiring and mechanical components.

How it is different

Clear Step is a manufacturable mobility aid that integrates spatial distance sensing and intuitive tactile feedback within an unobtrusive long cane form. Feasibility is proven with a functional prototype validated by blind testers.
A laser (ToF) sensor in the handle detects the distance of upcoming obstacles. This is communicated via a novel system of tactile pins which actuate under the index finger, allowing users to quickly identify openings or obstructions without relying on sound or complex vibration patterns.
A second laser sensor near the cane tip detects head-height hazards, a critical limitation of traditional canes. Users are warned via a vibration motor in the handle.
In contrast, most smart aids use ultrasonic sensors with a wide detection cone, making it difficult to determine object location. Clear Step’s narrow beam laser sensing and tactile feedback enables better spatial scanning, allowing users to identify pathways, not just obstacle presence.

Future plans

Testing and development continue in collaboration with blind testers as well as orientation and mobility experts. There is still progress to be made before this is a readily available product but there is hope that Clear Step will become a new standard for blind mobility.

Awards

Best in Innovation and Research (Soullis Tavrou Award, Swinburne University)
"The project stood out for genuine technical ingenuity. The panel consistently praised the functional problem solving and impressive prototyping"