VONA: An Intelligent Voice-Oriented Navigation Assistant to Enhance Mobility for Visually Impaired Individuals in Tupi, South Cotabato

This research describes VONA, an intelligent voice-oriented navigation assistant made to improve the mobility and safety of visually impaired people in Tupi, South Cotabato. VONA combines a built-in camera-based real-time environmental scan with voice control technology to give the user hands-free navigation and obstacle detection. In addition, the device offers exclusive features, such as shopping assistance mode, document reading, currency recognition, and color matching, to provide extra help to users in their everyday lives. VONA, a system of an ingenious accessibility and user-friendliness design, offers clear auditory feedback and can even be considered suitable for users with a non-technical background. However, VONA has a limitation in camera-based scanning, as its effectiveness depends on how clear the captured image is. The usability test results for 100 visually impaired individuals were positive: 84% of participants indicated that the system was easy to use, 82% stated they could navigate independently with VONA, and 85% reported that their safety and mobility had improved. In addition, 80% of them acknowledged that the voice commands and environmental alerts were precise. Such outcomes demonstrate that VONA is an empowerment tool that ensures the users' safety when they are on the move and, hence, raises their confidence and independence, which is the core of the technology's potential in the community of deprived people. The research findings demonstrate how a voice-driven system like VONA can be an instrumental source of empowerment for visually impaired individuals, while also simplifying their lives.