Caution Radar

Built a custom sensor system for client to navigate surroundings in his wheelchair


The Need

The need for this project is intended for one of their students, Silas. Silas is a 9-year-old boy who is legally blind, with some detection of light in the left eye. He also has a physical disability that requires him to use a wheelchair to move around the facility and a cognitive disability. Currently, Silas is transported with assistance from one of the nurses or a supervisor. At times Silas can self- propel the wheelchair to move around but requires supervision. When self-propelling, the supervisor will walk along with Silas, monitor if he is encountering any obstacles, and warn him of the obstacles. This requires the supervisor to be in very close proximity to the wheelchair at all times. The facility wants to teach Silas cause and effect so they need a system that can help him identify obstacles around him without direct involvement of the supervisors so he can maneuver safely and independently

The Solution

The focus of this project is to create a 360-degree ultrasonic sensor system that warns the client of any obstacles they may encounter. This warning system will consist of a speaker that will play an audio cue that alerts the user of the obstacle and changes its pitch based on how close that object is. Over the lifetime of this project, the form has changed in need to address safety. In its current iteration, a total of 5 ultrasound sensors will be installed onto the device, 1 in each cardinal direction with an additional one facing forward. These sensors will be controlled via an Arduino module and powered by a rechargeable battery pack. A mounting device for the sensor system is a crucial component of this project. Originally a universal clamp was designed for the caution radar mount. However, a belt, strap, and buckle approach has been integrated into the design instead. This will allow the client’s caretakers to be able to use the device on both their wheelchair and his Gait trainer. Having a universal system also allows the device to be able to be used in the future with a new wheelchair


The Team

  • Elliot Shiro

  • Maxene Aguinaldo

  • Rida Jawed

  • John Rodrigues

  • Sal Campo

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