One fine day, after watching a popular TV show about people with disabilities, I got an idea of building a smartphone for the blind that is completely Braille based. With absolutely no hint of how to make it, I started working on it. I teamed up with one of the most amazing guy I know, Vidit and after overcoming a lot of issues, we built it!
The phone does not use any voice support for its operation and is completely Braille-based. Using the applications on the phone the user can send and read email, read and post tweets from Twitter, use phone-book to retrieve and store contacts, read books from memory card etc. And this isn’t all, more apps as a part of the software can be added to the phone further increasing the possibilities.
At the core of the phone is Arduino Mega board with a GSM module, fitted in a 3D printed case. On the top is an embossed touchscreen for input and below the phone is a actuator controlled Braille cell. Currently we are working more on the phone to make it more awesome.
I gave a talk on the phone atTEDxSushantLok.
10 thoughts on “Building a Braille Smartphone”
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I would love to see this video after the audio is fixed. He is wearing a lapel mic so why didn’t they dub in an understandable copy of the audio? It sounds like they recorded it using the on-camera mic from the back of the room.
3D printing is here to stay! Printers have become so accessible and affordable that soon, more than just makers and maker labs will love using them-everyone will have one. So your printer is like?
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