Proximity Sensing Textile as A Wearable Aid to Orientation and Mobility for Individuals with Visual Impairments

The project continues development of Proximity Sensing Textile as a wearable, electronic travel mobility aid tht preserves the comfort, appearance, and dignity of everyday apparel. Proximity Sensing Textile is a smart textile array of infrared sensors embedded in conventional clothng tht detects and reports hazards such as drop-offs, overhangs, and jutting objects to the wearer. The clothing supplies hazards avoidance cues to the wearer that complement orientation, mobility, and navigation information accessible to the wearer from wayfinding systems, be they infrared, GPS, or radio technology based. In Phase 2, a textile is being developed that actively interrogates the immediate environnment of the wearer for hazards and reports them through cues designed into the clothing. Commercial applications exist for individuals with mobility impairments who have difficulty scanning the physical enviroment because of range of motion limitations such as people with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, spinal bifida, or other disabilities.