Braille on a Cell Phone? Check Out the ‘Eyes-Free’ Technology Helping the Visually Impaired
- Posted on February 20, 2012 at 10:52am by
Liz Klimas
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With the majority of smartphone devices, and many regular cellphones, turning toward flat touchscreen technology, you can imagine the challenge these devices could pose for those who are blind. But, several apps and technologies are emerging to make use of these devices easier on those who rely on braille to read or type.
One such app, still in its prototype phase, was developed by researchers at Georgia Tech as a method to help with texting based on the braille system, which uses touch to help the visually impaired read. The “eyes-free” technology used by BrailleTouch has resulted in users achieving up to 32 words per minute with 92 percent accuracy.
Watch how BrailleTouch works:
BrailleTouch works by using a “six-key configuration so that the keyboard fits on the screen and users keep their fingers in a relatively fixed position while texting”. The researchers creating this technology explain that it will not only be useful for the visually impaired by could also have application for those with normal sight to text or use the device without looking:
“Research has shown that chorded, or gesture-based, texting is a viable solution for eyes-free written communication in the future, making obsolete the need for users to look at their devices while inputting text on them,” said Mario Romero, Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Interactive Computing (IC) and the project’s principal investigator.
[...]
“BrailleTouch is an out-of-the-box solution that will work with smartphones and tablets and allow users to start learning the Braille alphabet in a few minutes,” said Romero. “It also reduces the need for expensive proprietary Braille keyboard devices, which typically cost thousands of dollars.”
As this app continues its development to help those who are blind better use touchscreen devices, there is other technology to help the visually impaired read using barcode-scanning techniques if braille is not available. BarAille Communications has used barcode-scanning technology to help the visually impaired — even those who are illiterate — read for several years, but the emergence of smartphone apps that can scan the code makes the technology even more accessible.
(Photo: BarAille)
Here’s how it works: a high-density micro-barcode is scanned with one’s cellphone. The text appears on the device but can also be recited in an audible manner in a variety of languages. In an email to the Blaze, the company described that the BarAille barcode patch is always positioned in the same area on a page — inside the top margin of a page, for example.
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banjarmon
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 12:26pmBraille on drive up ATMs….What will they think of NEXT??? Check it out the next time your bank..
Report Post »RabiaDiluvio
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 4:38pmEveryone likes to crack jokes about that but seriously–do you think blind passengers never have to use a banking machine on a drive through??
Report Post »Lonescrapper
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 11:59amShouldn’t these people have been aborted? Aren’t we rejecting science by letting them live and developing technology that makes their life better? Isn’t that the point of the left? Why bother with this sort of technology/science. It’s just helping disabled people… it’s not “real” science.
Report Post »Shotgun_Melee
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 11:54amThis should be great for those who still wish to text and drive. Maybe they’ll finally keep their eyes on the road!
Report Post »Itsjusttim
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 11:26amDon’t get too used to your technology, because the Officer of Captivity is here to slam the gates of hell closed.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 11:04amEr…
Report Post »I salute their creativity, but…
Voice Recognition (VR) may be a better solution, imho.
VR allows for hands-free texting.
Blind / visually impared CAN speak (unless they happen to be mute as well).
VR is a nearly universal solution.
Besides, this requries TWO hands to text… VR? Hands free!
Lonescrapper
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 12:01pmIf they aren’t holding the phone, they can’t see that it is there, why would they be worried about hands free? They need to write something down??? Unless the phone is talking back, and sometimes even when it does, they won’t be able to locate it. That’s why they are holding it. But don’t worry about it, that’s just common sense from someone married to a blind man, it’s not “science.” Science would probably agree with you.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 12:41pmYes, VR would include speech – the two are being developed and implemented jointly for the reasons you state. The article is abut “texting” as I read it.
If it is braille, and not vr, that doesn’t make it any easier to find. I’m not trying to be confrontational, I actually don’t understand why braille would be “better” than voice recognition. Plus, the cost of a braille phone would be much, much higher than a VR phone, because it would have a limited market, which means limited production, which means much higher manufacturing costs. I am sure you know about that already, though.
Personally, I’d LOVE to be able to READ BRAILLE !
Report Post »I think it would be phenominal for giving speeches, etc.
I could read my notes without looking at them, and without having teleprompters in the room.
TomFerrari
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 12:43pmOh, and instead of a BarAille barcode, I think Optical Character Recognition (OCR) would fit the bill better. No need to re-publish books. Signs would be readable, etc.
Report Post »Of course, this would be combined with speech synthesis.
DD313
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 10:59amLet your fingers do the talking.
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