🦯 Drishtikon – ML-Powered Navigation for the Visually Impaired

"Bringing light to the unseen."

Drishtikon is a wearable AI-based navigation system designed to empower visually impaired individuals with real-time obstacle detection, path planning, and threat recognition—allowing them to navigate confidently, independently, and safely through any environment.

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🚀 Project Overview

Drishtikon is an assistive tech solution that leverages AI, computer vision, and real-time feedback to bridge the gap between visual impairment and independent mobility. It was developed as part of Init to Winit - Hack for Impact at E-Summit 2025, IIIT Delhi.

👁️ Problem

Over 285 million people globally are visually impaired, with 90% living in developing countries. Traditional white canes offer limited situational awareness, making it difficult to navigate complex environments safely and independently.

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💡 Our Solution

Drishtikon is a smart wearable device featuring:

• Real-time object and obstacle detection
• Facial recognition for identifying familiar individuals
• Threat detection (e.g., weapons)
• Audio + Haptic feedback for alerts and instructions
• Speech communication for interactive control

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🧠 Technology Stack

🧱 Hardware

• Wearable Camera / Smart Glasses
• LiDAR & Ultrasonic Sensors
• Haptic Feedback Module
• GPS Module
• Android Smartphone

💻 Software & AI

• Computer Vision: OpenCV (Canny, Hough Transform)
• Deep Learning Models: TensorFlow, YOLO, SSD
• Navigation & Mapping: GPS, mapping integration
• Audio Interface: Real-time spoken guidance
• Voice Interaction: Speech recognition and control

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🔁 How It Works

1. Capture: Visual data from camera (mounted on chest or stick)
2. Detect: AI identifies objects, people, threats in real time
3. Analyze: Calculates distances, determines safest direction
4. Guide: Provides haptic/audio feedback for navigation
5. Interact: Understands user voice commands and responds

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📊 Market Opportunity

• TAM: 285M visually impaired people worldwide
• SAM: 50M urban blind users in developing countries
• SOM: 5M early adopters in India and Southeast Asia

Projected 7.8% CAGR growth in assistive tech market.

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💼 Business Model

• Device Sales: One-time purchase of wearable unit
• Subscription: For software updates and cloud AI improvements
• B2B Licensing: Tech for hospitals, NGOs, assistive firms
• Social Impact: Collaboration with NGOs/governments for affordability

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💥 Impact

• Promotes mobility, safety, and independence
• Reduces accidents and isolation
• Enables access to education, employment, and daily life
• Boosts mental well-being in visually impaired communities

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🆚 Competitive Advantage

Feature	Drishtikon	WeWalk	MagicEye	Meta Ray-Ban
Real-Time Detection	✅	✅	✅	✅
GPS Navigation	✅	✅	❌	❌
Emergency Assistance	✅	❌	❌	❌
Speech Communication	✅	❌	✅	✅
Threat Detection	✅	❌	❌	❌
Cost-Effective	✅	❌	⚠️	❌

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📅 Budget & Funding (Year 1)

Category	Cost (INR)
Prototype Development	₹25,000
Pilot Testing	₹10,000
Marketing & Outreach	₹10,000

Projected Allocation:

• R&D: 40%
• Hardware: 30%
• Marketing: 20%
• Ops: 10%

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👥 Team

• Abhinav Tadiparthi
• Ankit Singh
• Soumyajeet Ghatak
• Nitesh Kumar
• Prajwal Kambale

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📬 Contact

For collaborations, demos, or pilot programs, please reach out via GitHub issues or email us.