Last Updated on: 16th June 2020, 08:43 am
My old blind man self doesn’t much care for touchscreens just yet, but since that’s where the world is headed, gadgets like this thing have the potential to save us a lot of money if they work as advertised. And I admit it, the idea is pretty neat.
A group of researchers from Stanford University has designed a Braille writer with no actual keys. The idea is that simply by placing your fingers anywhere on the screen, you can quickly and easily type in Braille from any position. There’s no need to spend time orienting yourself to the screen, because rather than you finding the buttons, the buttons find you.
The user simply touches eight fingertips to the glass, and the keys orient themselves to the fingers. If the user becomes disoriented, a reset is as easy as lifting all eight fingers off the glass and putting them down again.
‘They can accommodate users whose fingers are small or large, those who type with fingers close together or far apart, even to allow a user to type on a tablet hanging around the neck with hands opposed as if playing a clarinet,’ said Dharmaraja.
You can watch a quick video demonstration here.
I’d certainly be open to giving it a try. I just need to somehow get over my love of buttons.