NANaif AlshalanSoftware Engineer
Annotated smart assistive cane prototype showing its buttons, vibration motors, camera, microphone, speaker, ESP32, interface board, Raspberry Pi 5, power bank, ultrasonic sensors, and cane tip
All projects
Embedded SoftwareAug 2025 – May 2026

Smart Assistive Walking Cane

An offline assistive cane that combines obstacle detection, haptic alerts, voice guidance, a camera, and optional BLE communication.

01 · Problem

What needed to be solved

Provide clear and timely feedback while walking without making the essential safety functions depend on an internet connection or a phone.

02 · Solution

How the project addressed it

The Raspberry Pi 5 manages voice, audio, camera, and BLE functions. An ESP32 manages five ultrasonic sensors and the vibration motors, keeping the main sensing and alert loop local.

01Ultrasonic sensors
02ESP32
03Raspberry Pi 5
04Voice and BLE
05Haptic alert
03 · My Role

My contribution

Contributed to the software design, offline voice interaction, BLE prototyping, Pi–ESP32 integration, and system testing with the electrical and mechanical teams.

  • Offline voice-command pipeline using Vosk, voice activity detection, and local text-to-speech.
  • Local obstacle detection and haptic feedback continue to operate if BLE is disconnected.
  • Integrated software, electrical, and mechanical components into one working prototype.
04 · Outcome

What the work demonstrated

The prototype demonstrated offline voice commands, immediate obstacle alerts, and a working BLE GATT connection between an iPhone and the Raspberry Pi.
< 0.5 svoice response
≥ 90%intent accuracy
< 0.8 shaptic alert