Low-cost smart blind cane and glasses with multi-level obstacle sensing, emergency alerts, and smart home integration

: This study presents a low-cost assistive navigation system combining a Smart Blind Stick and Smart Glasses to improve mobility safety and independence for blind and visually impaired (BVI) users through multi-level obstacle sensing, emergency alerts, and smart home integration. : A dual-node architecture was developed using ESP32-based modules integrated into a stick and glasses. The stick provides lower-body obstacle detection and includes an emergency panic switch, while the glasses provide upper-body obstacle detection. Both nodes generate audio alerts via a DFPlayer Mini and speaker and additionally transmit Bluetooth messages to a smartphone terminal application, enabling TalkBack-based voice output as a redundant feedback channel. The system also supports SMTP-based emergency email alerts and indoor smart home control using relay switching. A preliminary pilot evaluation was conducted in both indoor and outdoor environments to assess functional reliability and collect initial usability feedback. Emergency panic alerts and smart home control functions were successfully triggered during repeated trials, confirming stable operation of the integrated communication and control features. Participant feedback indicated improved perceived safety, confidence, and usefulness compared to traditional single-device approaches. : The proposed Smart Blind Stick and Glasses system offers an affordable, redundant, and modular assistive technology solution with multi-level sensing, dual-mode audio feedback, emergency notification capability, and smart home integration. The findings support feasibility for real-world use and motivate future work involving expanded user studies and advanced sensing/AI-based upgrades.