✨ Inspiration
My team and I noticed that visually impaired individuals often face challenges when navigating indoor spaces filled with corridors and sharp turns, largely due to the absence of clear directions and instructions.
We also observed that many rely on a walking cane, which we saw as an opportunity—an untapped potential to enhance and transform into a more intelligent tool for better assistance.
🚀 What it does
Navify is an innovative navigation system built for the visually impaired, harnessing the power of NFC technology, Mappedin, and Voiceflow.
NFC tags are strategically placed on indoor floors where people commonly walk. Visually impaired users carry their cane, but with a game-changing twist—a special attachment that can scan NFC tags.
With this, users can:
- Identify their location within a building via Mappedin.
- Ask questions and receive real-time voice-guided assistance using Voiceflow.
Navify turns a simple walking cane into an intelligent, guiding tool that helps users navigate complex indoor environments with ease.
🛠️ How we built it
Hardware:
We built the hardware using a combination of smart components:
- RFID-RC522 to scan NFC tags.
- Arduino R4 as the microcontroller.
- HC-05 Bluetooth module for wireless connection.
The Arduino program reads the unique UID from each NFC tag and sends it to the app, which processes the data by matching the UID to corresponding coordinates in the database.
We also utilized 3D-printed parts designed in SOLIDWORKS and printed with the reliable Bambu Lab A1 Mini printer. The cane itself is built with a sturdy 20mm extrusion, resulting in a high-tech walking cane ready to make a difference.
Software:
The app was developed using a powerful tech stack:
- Flutter, React, Vercel, and TypeScript.
We integrated the MappedIn SDK using documentation from their Hack the North Guide. We built a functional web app with React and Typescript, then hosted it to access maps through our Flutter App. We leveraged many MappedIn features, including labels and pathfinding. For our project, we used the E7 Floor 2 floorplan, where each NFC scan of a chip identifies the use precise location in the building. From there, Voiceflow AI assists by answering questions and guiding the user, transforming this technology into a comprehensive navigation tool.
Our TTS assistant, Navi, is built using Voiceflow and a custom knowledge base for the A.I. component to ensure our assistant can provide high-quality and accurate help. We connected the voice agent to our application through the Voiceflow API so we can make calls to the agent directly from our mobile application.
🧗 Challenges we ran into
Software:
One of the main challenges was that the Mappedin SDK didn’t support Flutter, which is what our team was more comfortable with. To work around this, we switched to React to build the app and used Vercel for hosting. For dynamic routing, we implemented React Router DOM, ensuring smooth navigation between pages.
The biggest challenge while using Voiceflow was understanding utterances and how each workflow worked with one another. We had to experiment extensively with what words the A.I. picked up on to trigger certain events and pathways.
Hardware:
On the hardware side, we faced issues with the sensor not consistently picking up NFC signals. After troubleshooting, we discovered the problem was due to faulty wire connections caused by poor-quality materials and weak connections. To solve this, we soldered all the wires to create strong, reliable connections, eliminating weak points and minimizing errors.
🏆 Accomplishments that we're proud of
We’re proud of several key achievements:
- Timely Completion: We finished building the cane ahead of schedule, leaving us with extra time to refine the design and ensure it looked great.
- App Development: The app turned out exactly as envisioned, aligning perfectly with our initial goals and demonstrating our vision effectively.
These accomplishments highlight our team's efficiency and commitment to delivering a functional and well-designed solution.
📚 What we learned
Throughout the project, we gained valuable insights and skills, including:
- Using Mappedin SDK: We learned how to effectively utilize the Mappedin SDK, which will be beneficial for future projects involving mapping and navigation.
- Integrating Voiceflow: We gained experience in integrating Voiceflow and utilizing its features to create responsive and interactive voice-guided assistance.
These lessons will be instrumental in enhancing our skills for future endeavors and projects.
🔮 What's next for Navify
Stay tuned for exciting updates and future developments! We’re continuously working on enhancing Navify and exploring new possibilities to make it even more impactful.
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