A SYSTEM FOR ASSISTING A BLIND OR LOW-VISION SUBJECT DISPLACEMENTS

• Main Authors: LEPORINI, Barbara, FORGIONE, Nicola, ROSELLINI, Michele, DEL GRATTA, Aldo
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 27.08.2025
• Subjects: ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSESOR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION ORRERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; MASSAGE; MEASURING; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING ORSTIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; PHYSICS; RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; TESTING

A system (101) for assisting a blind or low-vision subject's (100) displacements comprises a support (10) configured to be worn by the subject (100); a distance sensor (20) mounted to said support (10) and configured to emit ultrasound (2) along an emission direction (21) and within an emission cone (22), and configured to receive an echo (3) of the ultrasound (2) when the latter are reflected by a body (1,7) that is present within the emission cone (22) at a detection distance (dR) from the sensor (20); a control unit (50) configured to receive a signal of the echo from the sensor (20), to determine a delay between the emission of the ultrasound (2) and the reception of the echo (3), to calculate the distance of the object (1) from the sensor (20) starting from the delay, and to generate a distance signal; a sensory stimulation device (62) configured to receive the distance signal (5) and to transmit a sensory stimulation responsive to the distance signal (5) to the subject (100). According to an aspect of the invention, an adjustment means is provided for adjusting the elevation angle (α) of the emission direction (21) directed downwards with respect to a horizontal reference axis (11), and the control unit is configured to define, by the elevation angle (α), a distance field (6) of distances from the subject (100), to detect a background echo (4) associated with a reflection of said ultrasound (2) by the ground (7), and to provide said sensory stimulation (8) to said subject (100) when a further echo (3) is detected coming from said object (1) that is possibly present within said emission cone (22), and is arranged as a proximity front obstacle in a low position with respect to said subject (100).