I was contacted by a grade 9 student with a fascinating idea: to create a smarter cane for the visually impaired. The concept aimed to address a significant challenge, but as I listened to the student's pitch, it became clear that the initial idea lacked a comprehensive understanding of its potential impact. The student's plan was to section off a grocery store and use a barcode scanner to help visually impaired individuals identify their location. While interesting, the approach felt limited in scope, and I saw an opportunity to introduce more innovative solutions.

I introduced the student to technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Arduino, and Raspberry Pi, showcasing various sensors and their capabilities. Together, we brainstormed and developed a more advanced product that integrated artificial intelligence to recognize objects, such as food items. We added a Braille wheel with 10 distinct categories corresponding to common grocery store products and incorporated a vibration motor to alert the user to obstacles that could pose a risk, such as objects at head height. To ensure inclusivity, we built redundancies into the system for users with both visual and auditory impairments. These included a barcode sensor at the base of the cane to scan QR codes tied to specific store locations, enabling the Braille wheel to adjust automatically with the assistance of Google Gemini.

The result was a robust and intelligent assistive device that far surpassed the original concept. With my mentorship, the student refined the design and successfully showcased the product at citywide competitions, ultimately excelling at the Canada-Wide Science Fair. Below is a video of the student demonstrating the final product, which stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation.