AI智慧輔助導盲杖之產品設計與商業模式研究

A Study on Product Design and Business Model of AI Smart Guiding Cane

視覺障礙者(亦可稱為視障者)在行走時面臨諸多困境，影響其日常生活與移動的便利性。環境障礙是主要挑戰之一，視障者依靠傳統的白手杖來識別障礙物的位置、類型和距離，這種工具已經使用了大約一百年，自1921年發明以來其基本設計幾乎未經改變。儘管在公共場所如人行道、地下通道、高鐵和捷運站已經安裝了導盲磚來增加視障者的行走安全，還有現代電子白手杖增加高科技功能如摔倒報警、語音導航、收音機，甚至能測量積水深度和辨識紅綠燈。但視障者仍然較少使用這些先進儀器，而是持續依賴傳統白手杖。因此，本研究的目的是開發一種新型的AI智慧輔助導盲杖，以增強視障者的安全和自主性。這個系統以ESP32作為開發板，使用Arduino IDE進行程式編寫，實現基本元件的控制和感測，包括超音波感測器、震動傳感器和LED燈等。通過利用超聲波來探測周圍的障礙物，並通過震動反饋向使用者提供距離訊息，這種設計有助於提升視障者的行走安全與自主性，使其能夠更順利地融入社會並提升生活品質。本研究同時透過市場分析以及消費者需求調查進行，透過半結構式訪談與蒐集資料，進行資料分析，將訪談結果用以建立商業模式。

Visually impaired individuals face numerous challenges while walking, affecting their daily lives and mobility. Environmental obstacles are one of the primary difficulties, and they rely on traditional white canes to detect the position, type, and distance of obstacles. This tool has been in use for nearly a century, with its basic design remaining largely unchanged since its invention in 1921. Although public spaces such as sidewalks, underpasses, high-speed rail, and metro stations have been equipped with tactile paving to enhance walking safety, and modern electronic white canes incorporate high-tech features such as fall alarms, voice navigation, radios, and even water depth measurement and traffic light recognition, visually impaired individuals still rarely use these advanced devices and continue to rely on traditional white canes. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a new AI-assisted smart guiding cane to enhance the safety and autonomy of visually impaired individuals. This system is built using the ESP32 development board and programmed with Arduino IDE to control and sense basic components, including ultrasonic sensors, vibration sensors, and LED lights. By utilizing ultrasonic waves to detect surrounding obstacles and providing distance information to the user through vibration feedback, this design helps improve walking safety and independence, allowing visually impaired individuals to integrate more smoothly into society and enhance their quality of life. Additionally, this study incorporates market analysis and consumer demand research. Through semi-structured interviews and data collection, the gathered information is analyzed and used to establish a business model based on the interview findings.