GuideTouch: An Obstacle Avoidance Device with Tactile Feedback for Visually Impaired

TL;DR

GuideTouch is a wearable obstacle avoidance device for the visually impaired that uses ToF sensors and vibrotactile feedback to improve safety and independence during navigation.

Contribution

This paper introduces GuideTouch, a novel standalone wearable device combining 3D environmental sensing and tactile feedback for obstacle avoidance in visually impaired users.

Findings

Achieved 92.9% recognition accuracy for tactile patterns.

Validated effectiveness with 14 visually impaired users.

Demonstrated high accuracy in spatial perception aid.

Abstract

Safe navigation for the visually impaired individuals remains a critical challenge, especially concerning head-level obstacles, which traditional mobility aids often fail to detect. We introduce GuideTouch, a compact, affordable, standalone wearable device designed for autonomous obstacle avoidance. The system integrates two vertically aligned Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensors, enabling three-dimensional environmental perception, and four vibrotactile actuators that provide directional haptic feedback. Proximity and direction information is communicated via an intuitive 4-point vibrotactile feedback system located across the user's shoulders and upper chest. For real-world robustness, the device includes a unique centrifugal self-cleaning optical cover mechanism and a sound alarm system for location if the device is dropped. We evaluated the haptic perception accuracy across 22 participants (17 male and 5 female, aged 21-48, mean 25.7, sd 6.1). Statistical analysis confirmed a significant difference between the perception accuracy of different patterns. The system demonstrated high recognition accuracy, achieving an average of 92.9% for single and double motor (primary directional) patterns. Furthermore, preliminary experiments with 14 visually impaired users validated this interface, showing a recognition accuracy of 93.75% for primary directional cues. The results demonstrate that GuideTouch enables intuitive spatial perception and could significantly improve the safety, confidence, and autonomy of users with visual impairments during independent navigation.