Sighten

SIGHTEN, a glove that will helps visually impaired people to gain their independence back by utilizing cutting-edge technology.

The specific problem we are trying to solve is the issue where the visually impaired have difficulty and limitations in carrying out their daily activities. In Indonesia it’s estimated that 1.6 million people have visual impairments. Despite the significant number, existing facilities to support those visually impaired remain inadequate. As an example, braille blocks, which are used to help and guide the visually impaired in walking to their destination, only exist in some established public spaces. Many public spaces, especially rural and out-of-town areas do not provide braille blocks to guide the visually impaired. Through these issues, we are inspired to create SIGHTEN, in order to help the visually impaired to live a life with safety.

The WHO mentions that vision impairments impact at least 2.2 billion people worldwide. Vision impairments have also posed great global financial burdens. It is estimated that the productivity losses associated with vision impairments accumulate to be US$ 411 billion. Moreover, for those who have vision impairments, it is our responsibility as a member of society to help create safer environments and primarily contribute in reaching sustainable development goals number 3 and 4. In addition, SIGHTEN also secondarily aims to reach sustainable development goals number 1, 5, 8, 9 and 10. 

The limitation of literary resources in both academic and non-academic materials for the visually impaired are very limited. Books that implement the braille system are often deemed as ineffective due to their size and availability. In addition, the lack of e-book availability with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology provides room for improvement as those who are visually impaired find trouble in text to audio translation. Our case specific feature can enable visually impaired communities to achieve equal rights in education by enabling them to do their own reading and research by using conventional, up-to-date books/paper/reading materials with ease. 

Finally, the additional problem we would like to solve stems from the issue that many women and children with visual impairments face worldwide. By providing a safe environment through the use of the SOS button feature.

Our solution is SIGHTEN, a glove that is designed specifically to help the visually impaired in their daily activities by navigating the real world through digital technologies designed exclusively for them. SIGHTEN is equipped with some amazing features that correlate one another. First of all, SIGHTEN is designed with a LIDAR sensor and navigation alert system in it, in order for the visually impaired to walk confidently and feel rest assured knowing that they are going in the right direction. In addition to the built in camera and image recognition system, the visually impaired can enhance their vision of the surroundings. Then SIGHTEN also has a GPS system, where the visually impaired can automatically know where they are at the moment. Other features such as heart rate and oxygen level sensors are added for their safeness, higher heart rate and lower oxygen level can indicate they might be in danger and can alert their family. Moreover, SIGHTEN is also equipped with an SOS button that captures footage and audio. These features can then alert those in the SOS contacts registered upon emergencies. As for the parents with visually impaired children, rest assured that you can keep track of them through camera streaming. Lastly, with the braille screen add-on feature, the visually impaired can learn the braille words anytime and anywhere with an adjustable speed of braille generation (ranging from low, mid, until high) that is tailored to their level of braille knowledge.

SIGHTEN is aimed to impact lives across the world as it will benefit society as a whole through empowering marginalized communities like the visually impaired. We specifically would like to serve the visually impaired community by providing technology that simplifies their lives, give them a sense of independence, provide additional environmental safety and support their right to equal education. SIGHTEN also aims to empower the industry by utilizing technologies in assisting the betterment of human lives and increase the productivity of those with visual impairments through the betterment of gender equality and education.

CEO: Alvin Filipi

Alvin Filipi was honored as The Most Outstanding Student of Electrical Engineering Universitas Indonesia in 2022. He has several work experience in Management Consultant at Boston Consulting Group, Tokopedia, and Blue Bird Group. Alvin has skills in sales, operation, and also programming (Python, C/C++)

CTO & Team Lead: Louis Mayco Dillon Wijaya

The leader was honored with Magna Cumlaude (GPA 3.85/4.00) in Electrical Engineering, Universitas Indonesia. He received a student exchange program in Korea University and has numerous working experiences with automation in Shopee Indonesia, Bangkit Academy, Tanoto Foundation, Jakarta Smart City, and Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Louis is well known in software development especially in Machine Learning (TensorFlow Certififed) and Embedded Programming (C/C++, Arduino, assembly, RISC-V).

Product Designer: Juan Khosashi

Juan Khosashi graduated from Chemical Engineering in Universitas Indonesia. He masters engineering modeling softwares, Adobe Premiere Pro, 3D Modeling, and Graphic Design. He has diverse experiences in the ASEAN Centre for Energy, Society of Renewable Energy, Process Engineering and Energy Days, and others. 

Researcher 1: Evelyn Velencia Febita

Evelyn Velencia Febita is a Biomedical Engineer who has high ambition to learn and create the new medical technology trends for medical devices. She enjoys challenging herself by joining 30+ competitions and currently doing research on determining potential biodegradable materials for sustainable protective masks. Skilled in research, medical devices, product development.

Researcher 2: Aurelle Khadeeja Rizany

Aurelle Khadeeja Rizany is a dental assistant who was honored as The Most Innovative and Excellent Student in Dentistry Universitas Indonesia in 2022. She was granted 2 scholarships and received 4 student exchange programs overseas. Aurelle participated in countless researches and 9 SCOPUS publications by the end of 2023.

Researcher 3: Jesslyn Christabella 

Jesslyn Christabella is currently a dental assistant. She often participates in medical research competitions as well as serves social services. She conducted research on stunted children and is currently working on 7 journal publications.

Researcher 4: Grace Chriselly Setiadi

Grace Chriselly Setiadi is currently undergoing a dental pre-medicine program. She has experienced being a caretaker to a visually impaired person whom she met during one of her volunteering experiences. Through this unique experience, she has first handedly known what it’s like to live and empathize with those who are visually impaired. Grace is also undergoing a double-degree research program pertaining to biomedical science and has won national medical research competitions.

Mentors:

1. drg. Benso Sulijaya, Sp.Perio(K), Ph.D - Research and Medicine
2. Dr. Ir. Tomy Abuzairi, S.T., M.Sc., M.T., Ph.D - IoT, Electronic, Sensor
3. Siti Fauziyah Rahman, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D. - Biosensor, SDG Expert

The steps that we have taken to understand the needs of the population is by interviewing the visually impaired and understanding the needs, struggles, and issues that they have faced. We have also implemented product co-creation by taking their criticism and suggestions into account in the making of our solution. Finally, we have done research on the technologies that exist as of today for those with visual impairments in hopes to create a more novel and helpful invention.

SIGHTEN is innovative because it combines several different technologies and features into one device (multi features in one device), creating a comprehensive solution for visually impaired individuals. The integration of a LIDAR sensor and navigation alert system, camera and image recognition, GPS, heart rate and oxygen level sensors, and an SOS button with audio and video capture, all work together to provide a new and improved approach to helping visually impaired individuals navigate and stay safe in the real world. This solution could be catalytic in the sense that it could change the market by providing a more comprehensive and user-friendly solution for visually impaired individuals. The integration of multiple technologies, such as LIDAR, camera, GPS, and heart rate sensors, allows the user to navigate confidently and stay safe, while the braille screen add-on feature can help the user learn braille in a more fun and engaging way. Additionally, the SOS feature with audio and video capture and the ability to stream video to caregivers or family members can provide added peace of mind for both the visually impaired individual and their loved ones. This could lead to a greater adoption of such technology and an increase in the development of similar products, ultimately improving the lives of visually impaired individuals.

SIGHTEN is designed specifically to help more than 2 billion people with vision impairment globally, starting from those in Indonesia. To achieve our impact goal, we will start partnering and collaborating with organizations that focus on helping the visually impaired community and schools for the visually impaired. We will also continuously make adjustments to our technology in hopes of improving our current one. Additionally, we will create prototypes and carry out clinical trials to further test our product and its efficacy. Feedbacks will be then gathered through these trials and be used as constructive input in improving our technology. Finally, we will continue to spread news of our invention and gain potential users by introducing ourselves and joining communities of the visually impaired and their caregivers.

SIGHTEN appears to use a combination of different technologies, such as LIDAR sensor, camera and image recognition, GPS, heart rate and oxygen level sensors, and an SOS button with audio and video capture, to provide a comprehensive solution for visually impaired individuals. LIDAR sensor and navigation alert system help the user to walk confidently and feel assured knowing that they are going in the right direction. Camera and image recognition system allows the user to enhance their vision of the surroundings, while GPS system allows family members to monitor visually impaired using a real-time location tracker in an application that will show where they are at the moment. Heart rate and oxygen level sensors are added for safety, which can indicate if the user might be in danger and can alert their family. The SOS button captures footage and audio and alerts those in the SOS contacts registered upon emergencies. Moreover, the braille screen add-on feature allows the user to learn the braille words anytime and anywhere, which can be a valuable tool for learning and expanding communication capabilities.

SIGHTEN is planning to serve 200 visually impaired men, 250 visually impaired women, and 50 visually impaired children in Indonesia for the next year through several deployments in 5 cities.

We believe that there may be several barriers that we may face in developing our concept into a prototype and accomplishing our goals in the next year, such as:

1. Funding: Developing a prototype and bringing a product to market can be costly. We may face challenges in securing the necessary funding to complete the development and testing of our prototype, and to bring your product into the market.

2. Research and Development: It may be challenging to navigate the process and identify the resources and expertise we need to move forward. However, there are many resources available that can help us with this stage of development, such as Indonesian universities, research institutions, and private companies that specialize in R&D.

3. Time constraints: Developing a prototype and bringing a product to market can be a time-consuming process. We may face challenges in completing the development and testing of our prototype within the next year, due to the complexity of the technology and the need for thorough testing and validation.

4. Technical challenges: Developing a product that integrates multiple technologies, such as LIDAR, camera, GPS, and heart rate sensors, can be technically challenging. We may face challenges in developing a prototype that is reliable and functions as intended,

5. Regulatory barriers: Our product may need to meet certain regulatory standards and approvals, such as FDA clearance, which can be a time-consuming and costly process.

6. Competition: There may be other companies or organizations working on similar products, which may make it more difficult to stand out in the market and secure funding or partnerships.

No, currently there is no partnership with any organizations.