This essay in essence was my first big writing project as a group. It helped me understand better what it meant to collaborate on writing an essay and how well/smoothly it can go if everyone plays to their strengths and stays in communication with each other. The paper discusses our idea of roller skates that for blind people that incorporate speakers in the shoe to help blind people skate. 

 

 

 

Engineering Proposal – Roller Skates with Ultrasonic Sensors for Blind People 

Giorgia Ambrosi, Daniel Dagnatchew, Joquanna Scott, Karina Orellana, 

Writing for Engineers ENGL21007 A 

Professor Sara Jacobson  

November 24, 2021 

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Introduction 

Blind people are faced with challenges every day. Not being able to see makes it extremely hard for them to navigate places, and gain independence. Recreational activities and sports are limited for blind people, and in most cases, they require supervision from a sighted person. Roller skates with ultrasonic sensors would help blind people to achieve more independence by opening up new activities for them. Sensors are positioned in the front of the skates, and can detect objects up to 25 ft away. When an object is detected, a buzzer located at the bottom of the skates emits a sound, which varies with the distance of the object. The buzzer alerts the person that something is ahead of them, allowing them plenty of time to slow down and turn in another direction.   

Although roller skating is a complicated task for blind people, the innovation presented can help develop motor skills that will increase their independence. The National Foundation for Blind Children organized a roller-skating session for blind children in 2011 and reported that “The children varied in their confidence and skill on roller skates and were paired accordingly with sighted chaperones. Some children who’d never roller skated before preferred to stay in the carpeted areas, while others skated independently on the rink itself with only verbal cues to tell them when they were nearing the corner” (Foundation for Blind Children, 2011). The innovative roller skates with ultrasonic sensors would allow these children to roller skate on their own, without chaperons. Thanks to this technology, blind people should feel more confident in their sense of direction and less fearful of their surroundings.  

Benefits of the Innovation 

One of the most important aspects of our roller skates is that they provide another an alternate sport for the blind or visually impaired. Traditional companies typically aim tools for physical activity towards individuals without disabilities. However, the blind and visually impaired still need the same amount of exercise that others do in order to be healthy. Common recreational activities usually require guides for the blind. Some examples include biking, swimming, and running (Vision Aware, n.d.). Our roller skates are a significant contribution to the blind and visually impaired because they offer an alternative to traditional means of physical activity that caters to their needs. The more independent-minded blind person will now be provided with an option for exercise that does not require a guide. 

         Roller skating is beneficial to one’s health for a variety of reasons. For one, roller skating is a low-impact form of aerobic exercise. This means that it can help your cardiovascular health, while also being easy on the joints. Also, since roller skating is a low impact exercise, it helps develop the strength and flexibility needed to move on to more arduous workouts (American Sport & Fitness Association, n.d.). Furthermore, skating targets multiple muscle groups. According to Healthline, glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves, all are strengthened by it (Healthline, 2021). The development of these muscle groups provides better coordination and balance (Word of Health, 2020). Based on these facts, it is safe to say that our skates will provide numerous benefits for their target audience. 

Cost and Materials 

In order to realize this innovation, an ultrasonic sensor connected to an Arduino board needs to be attached to the bottom of the roller skates. A buzzer will also need to be attached to the Arduino Board. The Arduino UNO Board has a width of about 2 inches (Arduino); therefore, the roller skates should be designed with a bottom width of about 2.5 inches. To allow more balance, the roller skates will be four-wheel roller skates. 

Given the fact that these roller skates will be using an Arduino board among other components, the material selection of the skate itself will be reduced to a minimum. This will allow for a balance of costs between the skate and the cost of technology that will be used in the innovation. Based on the current market prices, the cost breakdown will look as follows. 

1. Four-wheel roller skates (Kids and adult sizes): $20-$30  

• Boot: Soft Canvas and Rubber sole 
• Plate: Nylon 
• Wheels: Pure Urethane 

• Hollow Compartment (contains Arduino Board Circuit): Plastic 

1. Arduino Board Circuit:  

• Arduino UNO Board $9  
• Ultrasonic Sensor $31.87  
• 5V Buzzer $0.95  

• Wires $7 for a bundle of 120 pieces or $0.05 for a single wire  
• Battery clip $3  
• 9V Battery $8  
• Battery Holder $1.09  

With that said, the total cost of the roller skates for blind people will cost developers between $ 80 – 110. This price range is due to the difference in cost for skate sizes as well as the low and high cut design of these. Since the fabrication of these skates will take approximately a day to complete, clients interested in this device will be able to purchase them for the affordable price of $150.  

 

Description of the Materials 

1. Four Wheel Roller Skates 

 

Figure 1. Five major components of a roller skate (Roller Skate Nation, n.d.) 

Roller skates with ultrasonic sensors will have all the major components regular roller skates have. The boot will be made of soft canvas with a rubber sole, and the inside is padded to guarantee more comfort. The roller skates will be available with low and high-top boots, allowing the user the option to choose. The four wheels are attached to the metal plate, and bearings are located inside them to help them spin (Roller Skate Nation, n.d.). The roller skates with ultrasonic sensor will have one additional component. Between the plate and the sole there will be a hollow compartment made of thick plastic, which will contain the Arduino Board circuit.  

 

Figure 2. Roller Skates with Ultrasonic Sensor, side and rear view 

Figure 2 shows how the roller skates with ultrasonic sensor would look like. The component above the plate would have a height of about half an inch, and a width of two and half inches. The length will depend on the size of the roller skate. The rear-view shows the battery compartment, where the 9V battery will be stored. The compartment can easily be opened to replace the battery once it dies.  

2) Arduino Board Circuit 

 

Figure 3. Arduino board connected to an ultrasonic sensor and a buzzer (Arduino Project Hub, 2016)  

The Arduino UNO Circuit is located inside the hollow compartment, above the plate. Figure 3 shows an example of this circuit, which is composed of three major components, plus the wires. Starting from the right we have the Arduino UNO board, which is an open-source electronic platform, able to read inputs and turn them into outputs. The Arduino board contains a USB Plug, which allows the board to be connected to a computer.  In order to give instructions to the board, it is necessary to write a code using the Arduino Programming Language. The code can be uploaded to the board using the Arduino Cable, which is an A to B male/male cable that can be connected to any female A USB port of a computer. (Arduino, n.d.).  

Moving to the left, we can find the ultrasonic sensor and the buzzer. An ultrasonic sensor is an electronic component that can detect the presence of an object. These sensors measure the distance of an object using ultrasonic sound waves. They are composed of two main parts: a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter emits the sounds, and the receiver obtains it after it has travelled to and from the target (FIERCE Electronics, 2019). For this project we will be using a MB1200 XL-MaxSonar-EZ0, which is a high-performance ultrasonic rangefinder. This type of sensor can detect objects from 25cm to 765cm, which is about 25 ft. It is also very small, less than one cubic inch (MaxBotix, n.d.). Its size and long-distance detection make it suitable for our project.  

                         

Figure 4. MB1200, XL-MaxSonar-EZ0                              Figure 5. Arduino Piezo Speaker.     

(MaxBotix, n.d.)                                                                  (Arduino Project Hub, 2018) 

Figure 5 shows the Arduino piezo speaker, also called a buzzer.  The Arduino buzzer is a speaker that can be connected directly to the Arduino board, and can be set to any frequency and tone you would like (Ozeki 10, n.d.). For this project we will program the buzzer to alert the roller skater about objects that are close. The buzzer will beep once the ultrasonic sensor detects an object, and the buzzer will beep more frantically the closer the objects get. We will set the tone of the buzzer to a high tone so that the roller skater will be able to hear it while skating at potentially high speeds. 

 

Figure 6. Arduino Board connected to battery (Proto Supplies, n.d.) 

The Arduino UNO Board is connected to a 9V battery, shown in Figure 6.  The battery is placed in a battery compartment to make it easier to replace. The battery is one of the most important parts of the circuit since it supplies power to the circuit. The battery will power the entire system and will ensure that the ultrasonic sensor and the buzzer work properly. The battery is a Duracell 9V battery, which is compatible and traditionally used with Arduino Boards. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, roller skates with an ultrasonic sensor would be a very helpful innovation for blind people. The ultrasonic sensor and buzzer would help alert them to oncoming objects and help them avoid it. They will create more independence for the blind person as they no longer need a guide to warn them of those things. Each component of the roller skate, like the Arduino board, the Arduino buzzer, and the ultrasonic sensor, and of course the skate itself are essential to making this innovation work. All of these components work together to create something that would be extremely helpful for blind people to enjoy leisure activities without needing help.  

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References 

Anatomy of a Roller Skate. Roller Skate Nation. https://rollerskatenation.com/anatomy-of-a- roller-skate/ 

Atef Ali, A. (2016, February 12). Detecting Obstacles and Warning – Arduino and Ultrasonic.  Arduino Project Hub. https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/ammaratef45/detecting- obstacles-and-warning-arduino-and-ultrasonic-13e5ea 

Clifton, T. (2021, August 18). Is roller skating good exercise? Healthline.  https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/is-roller-skating-good-exercise#muscles-worked. 

Battery Holder 9V with DC Plug. Proto Supplies. https://protosupplies.com/product/battery- holder-6-x-aa-with-dc-plug-copy/ 

High-Impact vs. Low-Impact Exercises. American Sport & Fitness Association. 

https://www.americansportandfitness.com/blogs/fitness-blog/high-impact-vs-low-impact- exercises 

How to use an Arduino Buzzer. Ozeki 10. https://ozeki.hu/p_2977-how-to-use-a-buzzer-in- arduino.html. 

Jost, D. (2019, October, 7). What is an Ultrasonic Sensor? FIERCE Electronics.  

https://www.fierceelectronics.com/sensors/what-ultrasonic-sensor 

Martinez, M. (2020, June 3). 7 Health Benefits of Roller Skating. World of Health.  

https://wordofhealth.com/2020/06/03/7-health-benefits-of-roller-skating/  

MB1200 XL-MaxSonar-EZ0. MaxBotix.  

https://www.maxbotix.com/ultrasonic_sensors/mb1200.htm 

Recreation and Leisure for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired. Vision Aware. 

https://visionaware.org/everyday-living/recreation-and-leisure/ 

Roller Skating. (2011). National Foundation for Blind Children 

http://foundationforblindchildren.org/Skating.aspx 

Use a Buzzer Module (Peizo Speaker) Using Arduino Uno. Project Hub.  

https://create.arduino.cc/projecthub/SURYATEJA/use-a-buzzer-module-piezo-speaker- using-arduino-uno-89df45 

What is Arduino? Arduino. https://www.arduino.cc/en/guide/introduction