Mysuru: In an unique initiative students of an engineering college in Karnataka's Mysuru have developed a walking stick for visually impaired persons which will alert them of potholes and obstacles through sensors.
The device developed by Smriti Baliga, Swapna, Shreyas and Yogesh Gowda is made of an ultrasonic sensor, plastic pipes, and a vibrator. The sensor alerts the user through an audio alarm and vibration whenever he or she approaches a pothole and other such obstacles.
It also has a Light Dependent Resistor that senses the intensity of light along with an RF remote which lets the user know the location of the stick. "When we looked at similar products, they were heavier and expensive. We embarked on the project with the aim of making a lost-cost yet efficient walking stick for visually impaired persons," said Gowda, one of the students. The device which was developed in the last two months only costs Rs.1500.
