Smart low power obstacle avoidance device

Several technologies are being made available for the blind and the visually impaired with the use of infrared and sonar sensors, Radio Frequency Identification, GPS, Wi-Fi among others. Current technologies utilizing microprocessors increase the device's power consumption. In this project, a Verilog Hardware Language (VHDL) designed handheld device that autonomously guides a visually impaired user through an obstacle free path is proposed. The goal is to minimize power consumption by not using the usual microcontroller and replacing it with components that can increase its speed. Utilizing six infrared sensors, the handheld device is modeled after current technologies which use IR and sonar sensors which are reviewed in this project. By using behavioral modeling, an algorithm for obstacle avoidance and the generation of the obstacle free path is reduced using a K-map and implemented using a multiplexer.