Proposal Progress | Week 5

Dates: 6/04/25 - 6/10/25

Based on feedback from our weekly project meetings, I implemented several updates across the website to reflect our new project direction. In collaboration with Anthony, we established the updated project name, NAVI (Navigational Aid for the Visually Impaired), officially replacing the previous title, BCAN.

My research this week covered module-specific components, part compatibility, and technical specifications. As a result, we have options in regards to haptic motors, motor controls, Sharp IR sensors, and a framework for the design of the project. 

Multiple pages were revised to highlight this change, with updated content, imagery, and orientation to better align with the new project direction. I also conducted further product research focusing on a possible wearable module and several different haptic feedback solutions for visually impaired users.

Additionally, revised the survey page by writing a clear introduction to describe the NAVI device and added new questions related to obstacle detection preferences and system usability.

Several other key tasks were completed, including revising and rewriting engineering requirements, modifying/adding questions to the survey, removing references to audio feedback, and clarifying our solution in the “Our Solution” section of the main page.

Reached out to Lighthouse Central Florida, a nonprofit organization for the visually impaired via phone and email to inquire into resources pertaining to our survey and how we can reach out to the target community. Created a slideshow with images attached with links on the main page to highlight comparison products as well as a comparison table.

Several hours of troubleshooting was spent on the websites main page comparison table, the time and effort log, and engineering requirements datasheets​. Data was being readjusted and removed at random. Created separate data collections to mitigate data corruption with CSV backups. 

Developed, wrote, and formatted the engineering specifications table as per last weeks meeting deliverables.

Reached out to Valencia's Office of Students with Disabilities  in person and with a follow up email to inquire into resources and support on promoting project survey.

Further efforts on the NAVI project were centered around several key tasks. Design update involved transitioning the verbiage of the physical form factor from a headband-mounted system to a glasses-style frame. This change was reflected in the comparison table and the main project webpage to maintain consistency with the updated concept.

On the documentation side, the engineering requirements underwent a detailed review and revision. Several requirements were reworded for clarity based on feedback from weekly meetings. Requirements #5 and #8, which both addressed safety aspects, were identified for potential consolidation due to redundancy. Requirements #6 (related to LED-based feedback) and #7 were removed entirely. Requirement #8 was revised to state that all user-facing surfaces will be enclosed and safe to handle. A new thermal constraint was added to enhance safety, using VR headset temperature guidelines as a benchmark.

All system requirements were rephrased to center on user interpretation, aligning better with future usability and documentation standards.

In the engineering specifications, technical details were added for components such as the Sharp IR sensor and the push button, ensuring each item included full specifications rather than just quantity. Redundant or irrelevant entries were removed—for example, voltage regulators listed in unrelated sections and unnecessary voltage divider references were eliminated. A terminology update was also proposed, suggesting that the term “vision module” be replaced with “sensor module” to better reflect its functionality.

The Resources section was expanded to include specification sheets for key components like the Raspberry Pi Pico, as well as links to relevant datasheets and research articles. These include studies on VR headset thermal performance and Li-ion/LiPo battery behavior, which were also flagged for inclusion in the final report appendix.