University of Cebu students develop AI-powered smart cane for visually impaired

Students from the University of Cebu developed a smart cane aimed to assist persons with visual impairment.

According to Martin Javier’s report on “24 Oras" Friday, the creation utilizes science to provide advanced guidance and assure the safety of users.

“Mag-a-alarm siya through the ultrasonic sensor that detects obstacle. Kapag nakikita niya na may malalim na portion, magba-vibrate siya,” Engr. Jeff Salimbangon, Track Sense mentor, said.

The cane is designed to detect changes in the level of the ground.

If it detects a deep or low portion, it will vibrate to warn the user of the change in the surface's level.

It comes with a pair of smart glasses and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to inform the user about their environment.

“‘Pag nalilito siya kung saan talaga ang kanyang location, it will capture an image of the surrounding and it will be translated by our AI,” Salimbangon said.

The cane features a separate button dedicated to providing vital information, such as the current weather.

The creation also comes with an emergency function.

If the user is in an emergency situation or needs assistance, a red button can be pressed, immediately sending a message to the user’s guardian to ensure they can be attended to.

Looking ahead, the University of Cebu students plan to further enhance their innovation by integrating voice command capabilities.

“We also want to integrate voice command on the smart glasses,” Track Sense operation/developer Kyle Andre Lim said.

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News