Technology for the Blind: Beyond Braille
Introduction • The digital revolution has not reached everyone in the same way. • In a world where the next great invention is expected to appear on mobile phone screens, blind and visually impaired people have been left behind. • However, some innovative projects are trying to exploit the potential of new technologies to make their life easier.
A RING TO READ ANY TEXT • Many of us learned to read dragging our finger across the paper to avoid getting lost. • This intuitive gesture can help blind and visually impaired people to interpret printed text through a ring-like device that is able to recognize text and read it aloud.
A TOUCHSCREEN CAPABLE OF CREATING FIGURES AND BRAILLE • Although there are solutions that can convert text into speech, Braille remains the closest thing to reading for blind persons. • There already are devices capable of reproducing Braille characters in real time, but they are based on moving parts that go up and down to form points of symbols. • However, these devices cost thousands of euros and their functionality is limited.
3D PRINTING OF CHILDREN’S BOOKS • Generally, blind children do not start reading Braille until the age of six. • According to the 3D printing technology can offer children and their families the opportunity to start reading at an earlier age while allowing them to start exploring the world with their own hands.
“SMART” GLASSES FOR THE BLIND • Most blind people preserve some form of vision, often limited to the perception of light and movement. • The smart glasses developed at the University of Oxford take advantage of this residual vision to enable the blind to get their bearings and move through unknown environments. • The glasses use a system comprised of cameras and software to detect nearby objects and present them in a form that is recognizable to the user.
Conclusion • It is easy to imagine how blindness could be seen as an insurmountable barrier when it comes to using a smartphone or tablet. • However, the easiest technology to benefit from is that which we already have in our pockets, and this is the time to donate for the Orphanage in Indiranagar, that make life easier for blind people.