MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA – A faculty member of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) Nurhuda Wijaya developed a smart walking stick to help visually impaired individuals move around more safely and independently. His idea was inspired by a neighbor who is blind and had difficulty avoiding obstacles while walking.
“The idea came from my blind neighbor. He only used a regular walking stick and had to feel his way around manually,” explained Nurhuda in a press release on Friday, July 4.
Seeing this challenge, Nurhuda designed a walking stick equipped with modern features such as fire sensors, hole sensors, and ultrasonic-based distance sensors. It also includes wheels and a light for better movement and visibility.
Two of its most important features are the GPS system and an emergency button. If the user gets lost or faces an emergency, they can press the button to automatically send their location to a pre-set family contact.
“Each obstacle triggers a different sound alert, so users can tell whether it’s a hole, fire, or other hazard,” said Nurhuda.
The smart stick runs on a rechargeable battery like a power bank, making it suitable for both day and night use. Although it’s not yet available on the market, Nurhuda said he is open to working with companies to produce it on a larger scale.
During its development, Nurhuda worked with a team of lecturers and students from various fields and partnered with several special needs schools (SLB) for testing. After being tested by three visually impaired individuals at one SLB, the feedback was very positive. The users found it helpful, and the school even requested more units for use in classes and daily activities.
The device was officially patented in 2024 by Indonesia’s Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI). Nurhuda hoped that, with further support, the smart stick could be mass-produced to benefit more visually impaired people across Indonesia.
