Problem Statement

Visually impaired students face significant difficulties in independently navigating and understanding their surroundings within a college campus, particularly when they are new to the campus or visiting unfamiliar buildings. Unlike sighted students, they cannot easily access important visual information such as building names, room numbers, department signs, notice boards, entrances, staircases, pathways, and obstacles simply by looking around. Although they may know their destination, reaching it can become challenging when the campus contains multiple buildings, similar-looking corridors, unclear signs, unexpected obstacles, or changes in room locations. This can make routine activities such as attending classes, finding laboratories, visiting the library, reaching administrative offices, or locating restrooms more dependent on assistance from friends, staff, or other students. Existing solutions such as screen readers, GPS-based navigation application, and AI-based visual assistant

Solution

A camera connected to a mobile app that captures the surroundings and converts important visual information—such as signs, room numbers, and obstacles—into voice guidance for visually impaired students.

In Detail

The solution is a camera connected to a mobile application that captures the surroundings of a visually impaired student and identifies useful visual information such as room numbers, signs, directions, and selected obstacles. The captured information is processed through the mobile app and converted into clear voice guidance, allowing the student to understand their surroundings without needing to look at the phone. The camera communicates directly with the phone through its own Access Point (AP), so the system does not depend on campus Wi-Fi, a router, or an external network. The user can initiate the connection using a physical button on the camera, while the app provides audio confirmation such as “Camera connected.” The system is intended to provide practical assistance within a specific college campus area, helping visually impaired students access important environmental information more independently.