One of the greatest warming trends technological advancements present to the world is helping the disabled lead a better and more productive life. Once the disabled have been served, then the average-bodied among us are able to reap the benefits of the advancements in favor of the human condition. First, we had Bluetooth breadcrumbs for the Blind; now we have a rhythmic touch screen with Braille bumps for the Blind.
Three novel interaction methods were designed for reading six-dot Braille characters from the touchscreen of a mobile device. A prototype device with a piezoelectric actuator embedded under the touchscreen was used to create tactile feedback. The three interaction methods, scan, sweep, and rhythm, enabled users to read Braille characters one at a time either by exploring the characters dot by dot or by sensing a rhythmic pattern presented on the screen. The methods were tested with five blind Braille readers as a proof of concept.The Deaf iPhone is on its way and now, with this news of a rhythmic touchscreen for portable devices, the Blind iPhone is only but a touch away.
Wow. That is just brilliant. I'd like to try that out sometime.
It looks fantastic, Gordon! After Braille, imagine how the technology might be used. You could "feel" faces and texture and shapes and other wild things.
Wow! This is taking intricate" technology engineering" design to a whole new and wonderful level! Sounds like something I would enjoy toying around with since I know a few people that could benefit from this type of technology.
I love this sort of technology, Heartmelody69, because it gives everyone a step up once the disabled have been served. It's a means to an end we didn't realize we needed!
This is simply fascinating!
Valuing the other side of the world...
I think that's what technology brings to the world, Katha: A flipping of expectation and a quelling of the subsequently discovered demand.