Problem: As I was thinking about ideas for this project I decided to go through my daily routine and place myself in those situations as a differently-abled person. When I thought about grocery shopping, I realized that the entire process leans on the assumption that the person can see. After doing some more digging I found this video.
In short, currently, visually impaired people usually need an assistant to guide them through the store and pick out the things they need. The problem is that visually impaired people have difficulty being independent while shopping.
General Solution: A handheld barcode scanner which blind people can use to gather more information about the product to understand if it is what they are looking for.
Proof of Concept: an Arduino with a barcode scanner and a speaker. If there is internet connection, the speaker can give a short description of the product. If this is not an option, user can put in names of specific products and their universal product code beforehand. When product is scanned, if it is on the list, a specific sound can be played and a different one if it is not.
Fritzing Sketch:
Drawing:
