NAVI AI: AI Navigation Assistant for the Blind

NAVI AI is an innovative Android application specifically designed as a mobility companion for blind and low-vision users. When walking independently, visually impaired individuals often face the risk of colliding with obstacles, struggle to understand their surroundings, and face challenges in memorizing or retracing routes without assistance. NAVI AI addresses these issues by combining artificial intelligence with local on-device processing. The core safety feature is real-time object detection using the phone's camera, powered by YOLOv8n and NCNN. This system estimates distance, tracks movement direction, assesses risk levels (safe/caution/danger), and delivers immediate early warnings via audio without requiring the user to look at the screen. Beyond automatic safety alerts, NAVI AI offers full hands-free control via voice commands. Users can instruct the app to record GPS points into a saved route and request turn-by-turn audio guidance in the future. Integrated with Vision LLMs and AssemblyAI, the app also allows users to ask for scene descriptions, read text via OCR, find specific objects, and save personal conversation memories. NAVI AI's main advantage is its independence from internet connectivity. Through "Offline Mode", all essential safety functions, distance calculation, Text-to-Speech (TTS), and route navigation work 100% offline. User privacy data is strictly stored locally, making it a smart, reliable, safe, and highly private mobility aid.