{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,27]],"date-time":"2026-04-27T23:27:12Z","timestamp":1777332432139,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":20,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"22","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,18]],"date-time":"2022-11-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1668729600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European University of the Atlantic"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sensors"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper presents the design, development, and testing of an IoT-enabled smart stick for visually impaired people to navigate the outside environment with the ability to detect and warn about obstacles. The proposed design employs ultrasonic sensors for obstacle detection, a water sensor for sensing the puddles and wet surfaces in the user\u2019s path, and a high-definition video camera integrated with object recognition. Furthermore, the user is signaled about various hindrances and objects using voice feedback through earphones after accurately detecting and identifying objects. The proposed smart stick has two modes; one uses ultrasonic sensors for detection and feedback through vibration motors to inform about the direction of the obstacle, and the second mode is the detection and recognition of obstacles and providing voice feedback. The proposed system allows for switching between the two modes depending on the environment and personal preference. Moreover, the latitude\/longitude values of the user are captured and uploaded to the IoT platform for effective tracking via global positioning system (GPS)\/global system for mobile communication (GSM) modules, which enable the live location of the user\/stick to be monitored on the IoT dashboard. A panic button is also provided for emergency assistance by generating a request signal in the form of an SMS containing a Google maps link generated with latitude and longitude coordinates and sent through an IoT-enabled environment. The smart stick has been designed to be lightweight, waterproof, size adjustable, and has long battery life. The overall design ensures energy efficiency, portability, stability, ease of access, and robust features.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/s22228914","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,18]],"date-time":"2022-11-18T06:11:34Z","timestamp":1668751894000},"page":"8914","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":36,"title":["IoT Enabled Intelligent Stick for Visually Impaired People for Obstacle Recognition"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"22","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8809-769X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Muhammad Siddique","family":"Farooq","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Centre for Robotics and Automation, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Imran","family":"Shafi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5601-790X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Harris","family":"Khan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3134-7720","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Isabel De La Torre","family":"D\u00edez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Signal Theory and Communications and Telematic Engineering, University of Valladolid, Paseo de Bel\u00e9n 15, 47011 Valladolid, Spain"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1159-7968","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jose","family":"Bre\u00f1osa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Polytechnic School, Universidad Europea del Atl\u00e1ntico, Isabel Torres 21, 39011 Santander, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Project Management, Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana, Arecibo, PR 00613, USA"},{"name":"Universidade Internacional do Cuanza, Cuito, Bi\u00e9, Angola"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Julio C\u00e9sar Mart\u00ednez","family":"Espinosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Higher Polytechnic School, Universidad Europea del Atl\u00e1ntico, Isabel Torres 21, 39011 Santander, Spain"},{"name":"Department of Project Management, Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana, Campeche 24560, Mexico"},{"name":"Fundaci\u00f3n Universitaria Internacional de Colombia, Bogot\u00e1 111311, Colombia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8271-6496","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Imran","family":"Ashraf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Information and Communication Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,11,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Wolrd Health Organization (2022, March 29). 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