The Braille system has allowed blind people to read the written word since 1825. Unfortunately, Braille doesn’t translate well to the glossy smooth surfaces of modern touchscreen tablets and phones. A new app thinks it can change that. More »
Somehow, I think this braille Rubik’s Cube would be a lot harder to solve than that other blind-friendly touch cube with different textures for each panel. Not saying I’ve ever solved a classic Rubik’s Cube, mind. More »
Braille books are mighty thick, so while I remain skeptical of standard e-book readers’ utility, a braille version would make it much easier for the blind to carry books with them.
The B&D messenger, designed by Okada Noriaki, bills itself as a way for both blind and deaf people to communicate via text message. Though there are several Braille phone products already in the market, Noriaki device is much smaller in size and pretty inexpensive. On one side of the gadget is twelve points that rise and fall in braille lettering; on the other side is a small LCD screen and a regular numerical touch pad. Users must connect the B&D messenger to a computer for it to receive and translate texts.
When you’re born blind, there are a few things you probably don’t expect to do: become an airline pilot, use a camera and type on the iPhone, to name a few. Chueh Lee, a designer at Samsung in China wants to remedy that second one with his Touch Sight camera design, which instantly creates a Braille-like relief image on a dynamic Braille display to be felt, saved and even traded with other Touch Sight users. In addition, the camera records three seconds of sound after the image is taken, which helps impaired-vision users navigate through libraries of saved pictures.
