Background: Echolocation is a technique whereby the location of objects is determined via reflected sound. Currently, some visually impaired individuals use a form of echolocation to locate objects and to orient themselves. However, this method takes years of practice to accurately utilize.

Aims: This paper presents the development of a sensory substitution device for visually impaired users, which gauged distances and the placement of objects.

Methods: Using ultrasonic technology, the device employed a method of echolocation to increase the user's independence and mobility. The main components of this device are an ultrasound transceiver and a miniaturized Arduino board. Through research and prototyping, this technology was integrated into a biomedical application in a watch form factor which provides feedback to the user regarding the measured distance by the ultrasonic transducer.

Results: The output of this process is a tactile feedback that varies in intensity proportional to the distance of the detected object. We tested the device in different scenarios including different distances from a different material. The difference between the device reading and the actual distance, from 0 to 400 cm was statistically insignificant.

Conclusion: It is believed this device will boost the confidence of the user in navigation.

背景技术：回声定位是一种通过反射声确定对象位置的技术。当前，一些视力障碍的人使用某种形式的回声定位来定位物体并使自己定向。但是，这种方法需要多年的实践才能准确地利用。

目的：本文介绍了一种用于视力障碍者的感觉替代设备的开发，该设备可以测量距离和物体的位置。

方法：使用超声波技术，该设备采用回声定位的方法来增加用户的独立性和移动性。该设备的主要组件是超声波收发器和微型Arduino板。通过研究和原型制作，该技术以手表尺寸的形式集成到生物医学应用中，可向用户提供有关超声换能器测量距离的反馈。

结果：此过程的输出是一个触觉反馈，其强度与检测到的物体的距离成比例地变化。我们在不同的场景中测试了该设备，包括与不同材料的距离不同。设备读数与实际距离（从0到400 cm）之间的差异在统计上不明显。

结论：相信该设备将增强用户对导航的信心。