Overview

This team project explored a wearable navigation aid for a client with hearing and peripheral vision loss. The goal was to detect nearby obstacles and communicate them through touch, without depending on visual or auditory alerts.

How it works

Angled distance sensors monitor the area ahead of the wearer. When an obstacle enters the detection range, vibration motors create a haptic warning. The sensor angles and vibration pattern were adjusted so the feedback would arrive early enough to be useful without becoming distracting.

Design process

I led the team by delegating tasks, coordinating timelines, and communicating progress. We compared sensing options, tested different sensor placements, and refined the prototype based on how it behaved when worn rather than only testing it on a bench.

• Compared distance-sensing technologies
• Adjusted sensor placement to improve coverage
• Tuned haptic feedback for clear obstacle alerts

Outcome

The working prototype was presented through a live demonstration. It showed how sensing and haptic feedback could support the client's needs while reinforcing the importance of comfort, placement, and user context in accessible design.