Nigerian ABU engineering students build electronic walking aid for over 24 million Nigerians living with vision loss, plan AI upgrade

• The electronic walking aid detects obstacles such as people, holes, and water, using different sounds and vibrations to alert visually impaired users.

• An estimated 24 million Nigerians were living with vision loss in 2020, while 1.3 million people were blind, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

• The Ahmadu Bello University students plan to upgrade the device with artificial intelligence and a camera that can detect obstacles and relay the information to users.

A video posted online showed the students gathered as they demonstrated the device and explained how it works.

One of the students revealed that the electronic device produces different sounds to notify a visually impaired person about the type of obstacle ahead.

The device can detect different obstacles, including a person, a hole, and water. It also uses vibrations to alert the user when an obstacle is detected.

“If I am walking and this is an obstacle, it detects the obstacle and also vibrates in my hand so that I will know there is an obstacle,” he explained while demonstrating.

During the live demonstration, the student explained that the machine produces different sounds for different types of obstacles, using a person, a hole, and water as examples.

He also said the device was designed with room for further enhancement.

According to him, he plans to integrate Artificial Intelligence into the device by adding a camera that can transmit Bluetooth signals to an ear detector. The proposed upgrade would allow the device to tell a visually impaired person the specific type of obstacle in front of them.

The innovation comes at a time when assistive technology remains an important part of helping people living with visual impairment achieve greater independence.

According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 24 million people in Nigeria were living with vision loss in 2020, while 1.3 million were blind. The agency also reported that another 50 million Nigerians had non-vision-impairing eye conditions that required basic eye care services.

For people living with blindness, existing mobility solutions include white canes, mobility training, Braille and digital assistive technologies. The World Health Organisation notes that assistive technology can support independent and safe mobility and improve participation in education, work and everyday life.