Comparison of the Effectiveness of Smart Vision Glasses Combined With a White Cane Versus a White Cane Alone for Indoor and Outdoor Mobility in Blind Students.

BACKGROUND: Blind individuals face mobility challenges regularly, and audio-based smart vision glasses (SVGs) may enhance safe, independent navigation by providing real-time voice guidance beyond a white cane in mobility. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an audio-based SVG system in improving navigation performance among individuals with low vision when used in combination with a white cane. METHODS: A within-subject crossover study compared white cane navigation with and without the audio-based SVG Premium (by SHG Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru, India) among students with blindness. Each student completed two trials on both the indoor and outdoor mobility routes under two experimental conditions: (A) using a white cane alone and (B) using a white cane in combination with SVGs. The indoor mobility assessment was conducted on a 100 m trial designed within the school premises. The outdoor assessment was performed on a 410 m outdoor trail. Observers recorded the primary outcomes (completion time, obstacle collision, navigation mistakes, stops, and assistance requests) and assessed ease of navigation and confidence on a 5-point scale in which 0 is no difficulty or lowest intensity and 5 is most difficult or highest intensity after each trial. Paired statistical tests were used to compare performance with the cane and SVG to that with the cane alone. RESULTS: A total of 29 students were enrolled in the study, comprising 21 male students (72.4%). The mean age of the students was 15.1 ± 2 years (range: 10-20 years), and students with clinically proven blindness were recruited in the study from two schools for the blind: Miraj (National Association for the Blind (NAB) Miraj) and Pune (Patashibai Lunkad School for the Blind). All subjects had bilateral blindness, best-corrected visual acuity < 1/60 in the better eye, but retained hearing and cognitive capacity to follow instructions. In the indoor navigation task, the audio-based SVG system significantly improved several aspects of mobility performance compared with the white cane alone. SVG significantly reduced collisions, hesitations, and total navigation errors while improving ease of navigation and user confidence (all p < 0.05). Indoor collisions decreased from 4.28 ± 2.72 to 2.00 ± 1.83, and outdoor collisions decreased from 1.62 ± 1.47 to 0.62 ± 1.02. Total navigation errors were reduced from 7.24 ± 3.50 to 3.79 ± 2.09 indoors and from 4.10 ± 2.34 to 2.03 ± 1.64 outdoors. Participants reported significantly greater ease of navigation and confidence with SVG. Completion time increased significantly in both indoor and outdoor tasks (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that audio-based SVG technology can significantly enhance mobility performance and user confidence among individuals with low vision. Such wearable assistive devices have the potential to improve independence, safety, and quality of life, particularly in resource-constrained settings where access to advanced rehabilitation services may be limited.