Close
0%
0%

Interactive maps for visually impaired

Interactive 3-dimensional educational geographic maps for visually impaired

Similar projects worth following
We construct Sensor Audio Map to help visually impared people to learn geography. We made some steps for it. The first, we construct 3-d maps with lines of equator, tropics, polar circles and pop-up continents. You can take out the continents, touch it, recognize the shape and size of the continents and biggest islands.
In the second stage we costruct steady maps of continents with sensor contacts. If You touch the sensor the map plays prerecordered mp3 file with information about the continents of islands.
In the third stage we consruct the map with pop - up continens (using steady magnets) and sensor contacts. It is equipped with amplifier and stero laudspeakers for speech and music reproduction.

Introduction

We visited a boarding school for visually impaired children in Moscow Region, Russia. Visually impaired people can’t see geography maps and mathematical graphs, but they can sense a special type of it by fingers. We saw than the pupils study geography using poorly embossed paper maps. We decided to help to the students and all visually impaired. We decide to construct a series of interactive electronic and non - electronic educational gadgets and toys for impaired people.

Stage 0. 3D – topological relief maps

We made some 3d topological relief maps, but it is very difficult for visually impaired people to feel too many details of the relief map. 

Fig. 1 Topological 3-D maps are too difficult for visually impaired people. We made some maps to test the possibility to use it.

Stage 1. 3D maps with pop – up continents for visually impaired.

We made contour map on the graph paper using single map and made our contour point by point, counting the coordinates of contours. Thus, we have some point arrays. We placed the arrays in 3d- CAD program. We add the curves of the equator, tropics, polar circles. We print the maps with the slots on the continents places, and we print the continent and the biggest islands, using 0.375 mm offset. If Your 3D printer has “Elephant – Leg” bug, You can print the continents upside- down.

Fig. 2 Simple street maps are familiar to the visually impaired people.

Fig. 3 We turn upside- down continents to avoid elephant- leg bug in printing.

Fig. 4 West hemisphere map with continents, the biggest islands and of equator, tropics, polar circles. You can take off continents to touch it. We used very bright colors because some visually impaired people can see some shadows of contours and colors.

We attach the files for 3D printers:

V1_Eurasia.stl – Continent Eurasia

V1_Islands.stl - Islands

V1_NorthAm.stl – Continent North America

V1_Other.stl  – Other Continents

SemEast.stl – East Hemisphere

SemWest.stl – West Hemisphere

We use 0.375 mm offset for continents and Hemispheres – this mean that it is a gap 0.375 mm along the countour, and continents and islands can be easy placed and taken out.

Stage 2. 3-D maps with pop- up touch- sensitive continents.

2.1 Electronic circuit development

Fig. 5 Schematics of the Map.

We used the next components:

  • Arduino Nano PCB
  • Sensor touch controller break board MPR121
  • HC-SR04  Ultrasonic Sensor
  • MP3 player DFPlayer Mini
  • Stereo Amplifier PAM8610 Mini Hi-Fi
  • Speaker 0.5GD-50M (or any other 4-8 Ohm Speaker)
  • XL6009 DC-DC converter
  • Powerbank - Any kind of +5 - +12 V power bank or accumulator
  • Nano Terminal adapter – 4 items. We used Terminals for connecting Arduino Nano, MP3 Plyer and MRP121 break boards.
  • Rexant 3 А toggle switch
  • Button non-fixed SPST

2.2 How Electronics in Map work

Let us show the schematics. We use microcontroller PCB Arduino Nano R3.0 with Atmega328PU chip on board, but You can use any kind of Arduino IDE- compatible board. We decide to use Arduino IDE and Arduino boot on chip to make programming easy.

We use HC-SR04 Ultrasonic sensor to detect the motion near the Map to switch the Map in the work mode and vice versa. When HC-SR04 feels some in 20-30 cm the controller make the invitation “You can press or pull up any continent out of the map”. We use some delay (30-120 seconds) to avoid frequent repetition of the invitation. The delay timer is reset every time someone touches the touch pads.

We install metal screws M2 (it can be any convenient metal construction as rivet) in continents, and small D8x3 mm magnets. Continents with inserted metal screws are attracted to the magnets. We glued wires to magnets and connect wires to the sensor pad chip Proximity Capacities Touch Sensor Controller MPR121. Four MPR121 can be connected to the one controller by I2C bus. We use only two. Chip in MPR121 board measure the charge...

Read more »

MapWithComments.ino

Code for Arduino compartible controller with comments. For 3 MPR121 boards.

ino - 12.46 kB - 08/02/2020 at 23:05

Download

Map.ino

Code for Arduino compartible controller with minimal comments. For 3 MPR121 boards.

ino - 10.51 kB - 08/02/2020 at 23:04

Download

3DMapsHaD.pdf

Adobe Portable Document Format - 1.49 MB - 08/01/2020 at 00:31

Preview

SensorBox.stl

Box for Ultrasound Sensor.

Standard Tesselated Geometry - 105.75 kB - 07/31/2020 at 23:40

Download

3DMaps.pdf

Description of the construction of the Map.

Adobe Portable Document Format - 1.40 MB - 07/31/2020 at 23:36

Preview

View all 19 files

  • 1 × Arduino Nano PCB Arduino Nano PCB, but any other Arduino / Genuino PCB with Atmega 328 MCU can be used.
  • 2 × Sensor touch controller break board MPR121 Arduino - compartible break board with I2C interface
  • 1 × Rexant 3 А toggle switch Rexant 3 А toggle switch
  • 1 × Button non-fixed SPST Button non-fixed SPST
  • 1 × HC-SR04 Ultrasonic Sensor Arduino - compartible ultrasonic sensor

View all 12 components

  • 3D- printed box

    Sergei V. Bogdanov08/28/2020 at 20:56 0 comments

    We constructed 3d-printed box. We use some ready construction parts – battery boxes RUICHI 84*44*18 mm, only for versions with 6 AAA batteries as power supply.

    Battery boxes RUICHI 84*44*18 mm

    We used Anycubic Max4 3d printer with 210 x 210 print field.

    Fig. 7 Box Rendering. Inset – box for Ultrasonic Sensor. We made box from 6 parts- left and right sides with loudspeaker holders, bottom left with holders for batteries boxes, bottom right with holders for PCBs, back side with holders for amplifier, switch and button, and front panel with slot for USB cable. We include *.stl files. 

  • How Electronics in Map work

    Sergei V. Bogdanov08/28/2020 at 20:55 0 comments

    Let us show the schematics. We use microcontroller PCB Arduino Nano R3.0 with Atmega328PU chip on board, but You can use any kind of Arduino IDE- compatible board. We decide to use Arduino IDE and Arduino boot on chip to make programming easy.

    We use HC-SR04 Ultrasonic sensor to detect the motion near the Map to switch the Map in the work mode and vice versa. When HC-SR04 feels some in 20-30 cm the controller make the invitation “You can press or pull up any continent out of the map”. We use some delay (30-120 seconds) to avoid frequent repetition of the invitation. The delay timer is reset every time someone touches the touch pads.

    We install metal screws M2 (it can be any convenient metal construction as rivet) in continents, and small D8x3 mm magnets. Continents with inserted metal screws are attracted to the magnets. We glued wires to magnets and connect wires to the sensor pad chip Proximity Capacities Touch Sensor Controller MPR121. Four MPR121 can be connected to the one controller by I2C bus. We use only two. Chip in MPR121 board measure the charge flow, and when the charge flow via pin is big enough the chip reports to the Arduino via I2C bus that someone touch or untouch the pad. If the pud is touched the Arduino sends command to MP3 Player via Tx bus, and the MP3 Player plays the file. Button S2 switch the mode of the Map- geography, topology, culture, economy, folklore of the continent or island. Stereo signal from MP3 Player go to the stereo amplifier PAM8610 with volume control. Two speakers are connected. We use 5V powerbank or 6 AA accumulator (6x1.2=7.2 V) and DCDC converter to 12 V XL6006. 

  • We made two hemisperes and pull-up continents

    Sergei V. Bogdanov08/28/2020 at 20:54 0 comments

    West hemisphere map with continents, the biggest islands and of equator, tropics, polar circles. You can take off continents to touch it. We used very bright colors because some visually impaired people can see some shadows of contours and colors.

    We attach the files for 3D printers:

    V1_Eurasia.stl – Continent Eurasia

    V1_Islands.stl - Islands

    V1_NorthAm.stl – Continent North America

    V1_Other.stl  – Other Continents

    SemEast.stl – East Hemisphere

    SemWest.stl – West Hemisphere

    We use 0.375 mm offset for continents and Hemispheres – this mean that it is a gap 0.375 mm along the countour, and continents and islands can be easy placed and taken out.

  • We construct the Schematics of the IntSensMap.

    Sergei V. Bogdanov07/25/2020 at 00:34 0 comments

    We constract and test the schematics of the device. We use break bord MRP -121. The Board can be used for 12 sensor touch pad.

  • Hemispheres for the maps.

    Sergei V. Bogdanov07/24/2020 at 00:37 0 comments

    We added two filew- west and east hemispheres with grooves for continents  and with the curves of the equator, tropics, polar circles -  SemEast.stl and  SemWest.stl  .  The files are on the github.

  • We printed 3D contours of Islands and Continents

    Sergei V. Bogdanov07/22/2020 at 00:33 0 comments

    We print the maps with the slots on the continents places, and we print the continent and the biggest islands, using 0.375 mm offset. 

  • We made digital arrays of points.

    Sergei V. Bogdanov07/22/2020 at 00:31 0 comments

    We made contour map on the graph paper using single map and made our contour point by point, counting the coordinates of contours. Thus we have some point arrays. We paste the arrays in 3d- CAD program. We add the curves of the equator, tropics, polar circles. 

View all 7 project logs

  • 1
    Interactive maps for visually impaired

    Introduction

    We visited a boarding school for visually impaired children in Moscow Region, Russia. Visually impaired people can’t see geography maps, but they can sense a special type of it by fingers. We saw than the pupils study geography using poorly embossed paper maps. We decided to help to the students and all visually impaired. We decide to construct a series of interactive electronical and non - electronical educational gadgets and toys for impaired people. 

  • 2
    Stage 1. 3D – topological relief maps

    We made some 3d topological relief maps, but it is very difficult for visually impaired people to feel too many details of the relief map. 

    Fig. 1. Topological maps are too difficult for visually impaired people.

  • 3
    Stage 1. 3D maps with pop – up continents for visually impaired.

    We made contour map on the graph paper using single map and made our contour point by point, counting the coordinates of contours. Thus we have some point arrays. We paste the arrays in 3d- CAD program. We add the curves of the equator, tropics, polar circles. We print the maps with the slots on the continents places, and we print the continent and the biggest islands, using 0.375 mm offset. If Your 3D printer has “Elephant – Leg” bug, You can print the continents upside- down. 

     We upside- down continents to avoid elephant- leg bug in printing.

View all 11 instructions

Enjoy this project?

Share

Discussions

Similar Projects

Does this project spark your interest?

Become a member to follow this project and never miss any updates