KARACHI (Kashmir English): A seventh-grade student in Karachi has developed a smart stick for visually impaired individuals that alerts users of obstacles through sound and vibration.
The stick was introduced at the Bachaapreneur competition held at the National Incubation Centre in Karachi.
The Bachaapreneur competition is a youth empowerment initiative in the country that provides a platform for children to develop and showcase their business ideas.
Organized by the children’s retail brand Bachaa Party, in collaboration with National Incubation Center (NIC) Karachi, NIC Islamabad, LUMS Centre for Entrepreneurship, and NIC Hyderabad, the event helps discover and groom young entrepreneurs aged 6 to 14 years.
Radhe Krishna has had been interested in robotics since Grade 5 as he was inspired by a video on social media. “I researched, built several prototypes, and this is my latest version,” he said.
The invention can sense obstacles within a three-foot range, with the warning beep becoming faster as objects get closer.
Smart Stick is rechargeable
The stick is, however, a bit pricier. Unlike a regular white cane priced around Rs2,500, Radhe has priced his device at Rs15,000. It is rechargeable and can be powered through a simple plug-in charger.
Explaining the features of the smart stick, the young inventor said the buzzer, vibrator and all the connections were designed by him, adding that he researched components independently and assembled a custom kit.
He plans to make the stick more advanced as his next target includes GPS so that it could guide users through audio navigation.
He also wants to reduce the box size and make it better balanced. Right now, it mostly detects upper-level obstacles, but he’ll upgrade it to detect those on the ground as well.
