Presented by: M.

Pavan Kumar

Guided by: Kiran Sir

(08KR1A0431)

index
INTRODUCTION MOBILE ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES NAV BELT OPERATIONAL MODES ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES IMPROVEMENTS GUIDE CANE HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES IMPROVEMENTS CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY

introduction
This seminar is about NAVBELT AND GUIDECANE, which are two computerised devices based on advanced mobile robotic navigation for obstacle avoidance useful for visually impaired people.

MOBILE ROBOTICS TECHNOLOGIES

With the development of radar and ultrasonic

technologies over the past four decades, a new series of devices, known as Electronic Travel Aids (ETAs), was developed
Obstacle Avoidance Systems (OAS) originally

developed for mobile robots, lend themselves well to incorporation in Electronic Travel Aids for the visually impaired.

NAV BELT
The NavBelt consists of a belt, a portable computer,

and an array of ultrasonic sensors mounted on the front of the belt.

Eight ultrasonic sensors, each covering a sector of 15

are mounted on the front pack, providing a total scan range of 120

Following figure shows the prototype of the device

OPERATIONAL MODES
Guidance Mode
Directional-Guidance Mode Image Mode

ADVANTAGES
NavBelt can detect objects as narrow as 10mm.
NavBelt can reliably detect objects with a diameter of

10cm or more, regardless of the travel speed.

The current detection range of the NavBelt is set for

3mt.

DISADVANTAGES
For object with diameter of 10mm, the detection is

possible if the objects are stationary or the subject is walking slowly (less than 0.4 m/s).
It does not allow fast-motion. The NavBelt uses a 2-D representation of the

environment.

IMPROVEMENTS
The Nav Belt is currently not able to detect over

hanging objects. This problem can be removed by using a camera and a laser scanner attached to a special helmet.
Adding more sonars to the front pack of the Nav Belt

can provide additional information.

GUIDE CANE
It can be thought of as a robotic guide dog.
A servomotor, operating under the control of the built-in

computer, can steer the wheels left and right relative to the

cane.
For obstacle detection, the GuideCane is equipped with

ten ultrasonic sensors, and to specify a desired direction of motion, the user operates a mini joystick located at the handle.

FUNCTIONAL COMPONENTS OF THE GUIDE CANE

HARDWARE IMPLEMENTATION
Two basic types of hardware used are: -

O Mechanical hardware O Electronic hardware.

ADVANTAGES
It allows fast walking, up to 1m/s while completing

complex maneuvers through cluttered environments.

It can be used to travel or detect staircases. Easy to handle, and no extensive training needed. It rolls on wheels that are in contact with the ground,

thus allowing position estimation by odometry.

DISADVANTAGES
It uses ultrasonic sensor-based obstacle avoidance

system, which is not sufficiently reliable at detecting all obstacles under all conditions.
It cannot detect overhanging objects like tabletops.

IMPROVEMENTS
The Guide Cane is currently not able to detect

tabletops but it can detect these objects with additional upward-looking sonars. This can improve the Guide Canes performance to a level.
The implementation of an additional type of sensor

will be required to allow the Guide Cane to detect

important features, such as sidewalk borders.

CONCLUSION
Both the Nav Belt and the Guide Cane are novel navigation

aids designed to help visually impaired users navigate quickly and safely through densely cluttered environments.
It is fundamentally different from the existing ETAs

(Electronic Travel Aids) that, at best, only inform the user

about the existence and location of obstacles but do not

guide the user around them.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
NICHOLAS G.B., SYPROS T., BIO-ENGINEERING FOR PEOPLE

WITH DISABILITIES, IEEE JOURNAL, ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION MARCH 2003.

I.ULRICH and J.BORENSTEIN, VFH: LOCAL OBSTACLE

AVOIDANCE WITH LOOK AHEAD VERIFICATION, IEEE JOURNAL, ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION AUGUST 2000.
J.BORENSTEIN and Y.KOREN, THE VECTOR FIELD HISTOGRAM-

FAST OBSTACLE- AVOIDANCE FOR MOBILE ROBOTS, IEEE JOURNAL, ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATIONJUNE 2000.