BrailleTouch Smartphone & Tablet App

I’ve actually known about this bit of technology for quite a few months now but I wanted to wait until it was released before doing an article on it. After waiting this long I’m not sure if it will ever be coming out so I decided to go ahead with an article. The technology I’m talking about is BrailleTouch. A Braille typing app for smartphones and tablets developed by Georgia Tech.

How It Works
Braille is actually known and used by a very small percentage of people who are blind. But for those who are Braille fluent like my friend, BrailleTouch could be a handy tool. Braille characters are setup in blocks with three dots on one side and three on the other. The BrailleTouch screen is setup the same way. The user types in the characters and uses finger swipes to type out messages. A voice says what characters are being inputted with other feedback options also available.

Conclusion
I asked my friend who is blind and Braille fluent what he thought of BrailleTouch. He told me thought he would find this very useful and that he would use it. This way he could send text messages or emails faster. Or even hook up a Braille or regular printer to print out papers. Hopefully Georgia Tech hasn’t shelved the project and we’ll still get to use it in the future. For more info on BrailleTouch visit this website.