Obstacle Detection and Warning System for Visually Impaired Using IoT Sensors
Sunnia Ikram, Imran Sarwar Bajwa, Amna Ikram, Isabel de la Torre Díez, Carlos Ríos, Ángel Kuc Castilla
Abstract
Ensuring safe and independent mobility for visually impaired individuals requires efficient obstacle detection systems. This study introduces an innovative smart knee glove, integrating machine learning technologies for real-time obstacle detection and alerting. The system is equipped with ultrasonic sensor, PIR sensor and a buzzer, with data processing managed by an Arduino Uno microcontroller. To enhance detection accuracy, multiple machine learning algorithms including Decision Tree (DT), Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbour (KNN), Random Forest (RF) and Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB) are utilized. A novel Voting Classifier ensemble method is proposed, effectively combining the strengths of these classifiers to maximize performance. Rigorous cross-fold validation ensures robust evaluation under varying conditions. Experimental results demonstrates that the system achieves an impressive 98.34% detection accuracy within a 4-meter range, with high precision, recall and F1 scores. These findings underscore the system’s reliability and potential to empower visually impaired users with safer, more autonomous navigation, marking a significant advancement in obstacle detection technologies.