NEWS

Researchers at the EPFL in Switzerland have developed a new device to aid the visually impaired with mobility and the understanding of visual concepts such as maps and geometric shapes. The Blindpad as it is known, uses a system of tiny coils and magnets to raise pins on the device and help a visually impaired person create a mental map of where they are going. The device is 12 cm by 15 cm and is meant to be used as a navigational aid along with a white cane.

The Blindpad is currently being used in Poland and Italy to help children understand geometric shapes and graphs. Since the device is bluetooth capable, it can quickly be connected to a computer and instantly display such items for a visually impaired child. read more

CityMapper, a transit planning and navigation app for iOS, Android and the web, has partnered with the city of London to create a Smart Bus system. Some of the buses will be smaller, for the tighter places, others will be the larger city buses you’re used to, but all of them will have the same smart features. Real-time tracking so you’ll always know where they are and how long you’ll have to wait, and updated ETA for each stop. This service is the result of data gathered since 2012 via CityMapper. They hope to expand this service, but for now London is the first test city. CityMapper itself has a focus on accessibility and incorporating transit navigation access into urban areas where it may not always easy to find this information. Who knows, in future we may see more of these partnerships throughout the world as more cities embrace technology to address accessibility.
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A UK based engineering company has created a new and innovative way of providing printed Brailled for the blind. KW Special Projects, along with engineers from Hungary, have developed a prototype of a Braille printer called “B.My.Jet.”

Unlike most Braille embossers which use pins to create Braille dots on paper, this printer uses a new digital method to create Braille, lines and graphics. KW Special Projects is known for taking a non-conventional approach to the integration of new processes and technologies into high performance engineering and manufacturing. With this approach, they have done away with pins and use special inks to create Braille and graphics for the blind. The company plans to lower the cost of Braille printing and be able to provide these printers in every home and office for the visually impaired at a cost comparable to that of current laser printers. read more

For the first time this week, Amazon introduced a new Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) for Alexa. Like markup for other languages might allow developers to alter the style or look of a webpage or application, this language allows developers to alter certain aspects of Alexa’s speech. Features released so far include the ability to whisper, spell out words, and modify swear words. Developers are encouraged to test these new features on their skills, so be on the lookout for some interesting new developments. Who knows, your Alexa may just whisper those sweet nothings to you after all! read more

Google announced that they are making the Google Assistant SDK available to third party developers. This means that consumer products, such as coffee machines, toy robots, vacuum cleaners, or home automation systems could have the assistant built directly into their interface rather than needing to use a Google Home device. Companies would still need to maintain a partnership with Google in order to run the Assistant, but they could customize it to fit their own unique needs.

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