Blind Glove: a Wearable Safety Device for the Visually Impaired

Navigating daily life as a visually impaired person presents many challenges. The Blind Glove is an affordable, wearable device designed to enhance safety by detecting potential dangers like nearby obstacles, dangerous heat (fire), or sudden falls.

This smart glove uses sensors and smart connectivity tools to alert the user and caregivers in real-time through sounds, lights, and even smartphone alerts.

1. ESP32 Dev Module
2. DHT22 Sensor
3. Ultrasonic Sensor (HC-SR04)
4. MPU6050 Gyro & Accelerometer
5. Buzzer
6. NeoPixel LED Strip (12 LEDs)
7. Joystick Button
8. Jumper wires
9. Breadboard or custom glove mounting

Tools:

1. Computer with Arduino IDE
2. WiFi internet access

Attach the sensors and actuators to your ESP32 as follows:

1. Component -> Pin Connection
2. DHT22 -> GPIO 4
3. Ultrasonic TRIG -> GPIO 13
4. Ultrasonic ECHO -> GPIO 12
5. Buzzer -> GPIO 25
6. NeoPixels -> GPIO 5
7. Joystick Btn -> GPIO 15
8. MPU6050 -> I2C SDA (21), SCL (22)

1. Install These Libraries:

1. Blynk (v1 for legacy)
2. Adafruit DHT Sensor
3. Adafruit Unified Sensor
4. MPU6050 (by Electronic Cats or Adafruit)
5. Adafruit NeoPixel
6. PubSubClient (for MQTT)

2. Upload the Code

Paste the full code into Arduino IDE. Update:

1. WiFi credentials
2. Blynk Auth Token
3. MQTT Broker info (HiveMQ)

Blynk:

1. Create a new template: Name: Blind Glove
2. Add widgets:
3. LED (Virtual V1) for fall counter
4. Button (V0) to activate "Find Me" mode
5. Add Event log for fire or fall alerts

Node-RED:

1. Use the MQTT in node to listen to:
2. blindglove/fall_status
3. blindglove/heat_status
4. Use switch node to filter status 1
5. Trigger notification node (e.g. mobile push or dashboard alert)

Make.com:

1. Create a new scenario
2. Add a webhook trigger
3. Add a Gmail / email module
4. Format message with data ("Fall Detected!" / "Fire Alert!")

Attach the system to a glove or wristband securely. The device will monitor your surroundings and send alerts if anything unusual happens.

The Blind Glove is a powerful yet simple safety device that integrates real-world sensors with cloud platforms like Blynk, Make.com, Node-RED, and MQTT. It's ideal for visually impaired individuals or as a smart emergency system for kids or elders.

Customize It Further:

1. Add GPS
2. Use vibration motors for silent alerts
3. Log data to Google Sheets

Video Demonstration

🎥 Upload your demonstration to YouTube and paste the link here.

Schematics & Code

1. Arduino Code: Include as downloadable file
2. Circuit diagram: Attach using Fritzing or hand-drawn labeled image

Questions?

Feel free to comment on the Instructable or contact me directly!

"Technology empowers when it's wearable, affordable, and purposeful."