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Ultrasonic Detector

CSEF · 2026 Electronics & Electromagnetics (Junior Division)

Vidhi Wadhera

Overview

According to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide live with some form of vision impairment, and many depend on assistive tools just to get around every day. Real-world reports from mobility training programs show that traditional white canes work well but can't warn users about hazards like overhanging branches, walls, or moving objects until they're dangerously close. This gap creates a real need for an easy-to-use walking aid that detects obstacles sooner and communicates that information clearly to the user. That's what brought me to this project. My goal was to build a smart white cane that uses ultrasonic waves to detect obstacles and then alerts the user through haptic feedback - vibrations that vary in length depending on how far away an object is. A key part of my experiment was testing how different materials reflect ultrasonic waves back to the sensor, since that directly affects how reliably the cane can detect what's ahead. Every year, I usually pick a more straightforward topic, like something related to global warming or helping the environment - which are important causes. But this year, I wanted to push myself and take on something outside my comfort zone. This project required engineering, coding, and hands-on work with wires and circuit boards, all of which were new challenges for me. I also added solar panels to the cane so it could run on clean, renewable energy without needing constant battery replacements. The result was a fully programmed white cane that effectively detected obstacles and could realistically be used in everyday situations. A forward-looking idea for improvement that I have been thinking about is to explore digitally connecting the cane with Google Maps so it could guide a user from inside a building to outside destinations, making it an even more powerful tool, a game changer, for daily navigation.

Competition history

  • CSEF 2026 Electronics & Electromagnetics (Junior Division) · Entry J-10-11

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