It can be difficult for some blind people to learn to read braille. That’s where the BrailleWear glove comes in, as it verbally tells them. The glove is being developed by assistive tech startup ORama AI.
What was the inspiration for BrailleWear?
Co-founder Kushagra Jain was inspired to invent the device while volunteering at an institute for the blind in India, where he discovered that 90% of visually impaired people cannot read braille.
How does it work?
Incorporated into the glove is an electronics module located between the thumb and index finger, which contains a small camera and an LED light. That light shines on printed braille dots at an oblique angle, causing each one to cast a black shadow onto the surrounding white paper.
The resulting pattern of high-contrast shadows is easily imaged by the camera, allowing that pattern to be matched to the corresponding braille character by AI-based software. A synthetic voice emitted by a speaker on the back of the glove then verbally tells the user which character it is, as they feel it for themselves.
The final version of the BrailleWear glove will include an audio jack and a Bluetooth module, giving users the option of listening to its audio feedback via headphones.
How does this help someone reading braille?
The idea is that the user will eventually be able to identify each character by touch alone, and will no longer require the glove.
Are there plans to commercialize the glove?
The company has been working with Perkins Institute for the Blind to continue to iterate on the glove to increase its accuracy and effectiveness, and look forward to working with APH to find effective ways to distribute the glove.
When is the BrailleWear available?
ORama AI expects the BrailleWear glove to be commercially available by the end of the year, at a targeted price of $300.
Source: ORama AI
