The Department of Bioengineering has a 2 semester Capstone Design course sequence. Capstone Design 1 takes place during the Summer semesters and focuses on formalization of the design problem and the theoretical aspects of design. Students and faculty work closely together, with individualized guidance and frequent small-group meetings.
Pictured: Cooper Konz, Joey Maichen, Rahul Mamtora, Pranav Reddy, and Ryan Wilke Advised by Ronak Ansaripour (pictured on the right)
This device was inspired by the need for navigational aid for those who are visually impaired. Being visually impaired indicates some sort of reduction in vision, whether it be distance or field of view. This results in less information being processed from their surroundings, and detracts from their ability to navigate unfamiliar environments. In order to improve this ability, Team F has taken inspiration from scallops and their wide 270° field of view to assemble a device that analyzes information from the user’s setting and relays it to the user using haptic and audio feedback. A set of cameras and distance sensors are placed in a dock that attaches to the white cane. Both the distance sensors and cameras are able to identify objects in the path of the user and alert the user of the objects’ distance and what type of object it is. The device’s ability to describe additional features of the user’s environment allows for safer navigation.
Congratulations to Ronak for her advising and mentoring skills that led to this successful and winning design team!
For more information: https://bioe.northeastern.edu/academics/undergraduate-studies/capstone-design/