The Dot Pad would be the new Rolls Royce of tablets dedicated to visually impaired or blind people.
Braille is a writing system used by people with visual impairments. In 2022, the technology of most electronic devices is not adapted to this language. And the degree of innovation remains almost nil. So, while the requirements for graphical information are increasingly high, the sector is struggling to develop and adapt for the visually impaired.
To act against this invisible discrimination, Dot, a Korean start-up has created a smart tablet capable of generating and displaying text in Braille. For the record, Kwang Sung and Eric Ju Yoon Kim had the idea to create this company following the observation of the lack of technological options for learning and reading for visually impaired people. And this, despite the many other advances in computing and interfaces.
300 glyphs offered
The Dot Pad is made up of 2,400 pins. All of them are arranged in a pixel-like grid and are able to retract. Thus, they are able to form letters or images that can be identified by a visually impaired person. The tablet has 300 braille glyphs to display.
Namely that the system is compatible with Apple’s VoiceOver screen reading ecosystem. Thus, the user can display texts, images or graphics from his telephone. Another plus, an API for iOS 15.2 offers the possibility of including the DotPad in any iOS application.
Make up for a lack and a delay
The Dot Pad is not the first digital braille display. However, the previous devices are limited in terms of quantity and capacity. Thus, in general, visually impaired people cannot access graphical information digitally.
Another flaw, most of these devices are not designed for children and learning. Thus, in the area of digital learning, children with visual impairments are systematically disadvantaged.