Blind Google Engineer Creating a Touch Screen Phone for Blind People
T.V. Raman, a Google engineer and computer scientist who lost his eyesight at age fourteen, is working to develop a touch screen cell phone that can be used by the blind.
Raman has contributed to many blind-accessible computer applications, and the development of a new cell phone is only the next logical step. Touch screens are the latest tech trend to sweep the cell phone market, but with no buttons to guide the fingers on its glossy surface it can be particularly challenging for someone who cannot see the buttons to use it properly.
Rather than having the keypad appear on the screen in its standard configuration, Raman’s touch screen instead places the numbers in relative positions. The center of the keypad will be associated with a specific number, and then each of the other numbers will be dialed by sliding the finger in a specific direction relative to that center point. Up and to the left for 1, down and to the right for 9, etc. A mistake can be undone by shaking the phone, which will also make use of motion detection.
Raman also has plans on developing the phones GPS service, which could prove to be an invaluable resource to help guide the blind. The phone could technically guide an individual within feet of a designated point by issuing directions with synthesized speech.
[ via Source ]
