Tag Archives: blind person

Smart home device concepts empower visually-impaired members of society

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Our homes and appliances are becoming more powerful, but they are also becoming more complicated. Many interfaces are fortunately being reworked to simplify our interaction with these devices, but almost all of them still require a clear view of what the interfaces are. Sure, there are voice commands nowadays, as well as AI, but as any smart homeowner has experienced, these aren’t always fast or reliable. Unfortunately, all these new interfaces, even the minimalist ones, tend to cut off those with vision disabilities, depriving them not only of enjoyment or convenience but also of a sense of confidence and security in their own homes. It doesn’t actually take much to design with accessibility in mind, and as these three smart device concepts show, such creative designs might be useful or even fun for those who can see perfectly as well.

Designer: Jaehee Lee, Byeonguk Ahn, Minseok Kim

Many smart devices today tend to value aesthetics or functions too highly without considering how those would negatively impact the experience of people who are either blind or visually impaired. Some have too many buttons or have buttons that are all shaped similarly, making it difficult to tell by touch which one is which. Worse, there are those that use only touch controls on flat glass surfaces, which are completely useless unless you can see their marks. Beyond Sight is a collection of concept designs that address these flaws by using unambiguous motions and shapes that actually look fun to use, regardless of the state of your vision.

A smart speaker, for example, uses simple taps to play or pause the audio. Volume is controlled by sliding a ball up or down a pole while changing tracks involves turning the dial at the top. For people who can’t see or can’t see clearly, these definite tactile controls leave no room for guessing their functions. For those that can see what the speaker looks like, the design adds an element of fun and play to a device that has almost become too utilitarian these days.

The smart remote control might look and feel like a toy flashlight, but its polygonal shaft does more than provide a good grip. To change channels, you roll the device to one or the other side. To turn the TV on, you simply put the remote down from a standing to a lying position. The head of the device is a dial that you can turn to adjust the volume, and a large button lets you summon your voice-controlled AI assistant to do the more advanced functions that the remote doesn’t support. Admittedly, the rolling gesture might be a bit cumbersome, especially if you need to go through many channels quickly.

Lastly, a timer imitates the primary mechanism of rotary phone dials of the past so that people can slip their finger into the large hole and read the time in Braille. Setting the timer involves just turning that dial to the desired amount of time in 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60-minute intervals. The circular surface of the device slopes down toward that hole, easily guiding the finger to where it needs to be.

For those with visual impairments, the designs of these concept devices give them enjoyment and security in a home that’s increasingly becoming impersonal and intimidating for them. For those that can see clearly, the devices’ designs give them a toy-like character that hints not only at their ease of use but also at their fun controls, proving that accessible designs can truly benefit everyone.

The post Smart home device concepts empower visually-impaired members of society first appeared on Yanko Design.

This discreet device helps blind people read voice memos with their fingertips

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There is a veritable wealth of technology available at our fingertips, from smartphones to hands-free voice assistants to AI that can create convincing (or deceptive) works of art. Amazing as they might be, not everyone is able to utilize these technologies that make human life more convenient, especially when it comes to things that you need to see to be able to use. Visually impaired people are among those disenfranchised by many of these common technologies and devices, and they actually make up a large part of today’s population. Even something as simple as taking notes for recalling later can be a frustrating process despite modern technology, but this simple-looking device concept attempts to put those technologies to work in a very inconspicuous way.

Designer: Seunghyun Ko

We do have quite a few devices and services today that don’t require vision to use. Voice-controlled smart assistants, for example, give feedback via voice as well and offer auditory cues instead of notifications on screens. Of course, they can also take voice notes for yourself that you can ask them to play at a later time. Unfortunately, that kind of interaction isn’t always possible, especially in public places where you might not want other to hear that memo to yourself, or it might not be possible to hear the voice note in the middle of a noisy environment.

TEXT.ure offers a solution that is both simple yet ingenious, combining several existing technologies into a single design that could significantly improve the quality of life of visually-impaired people. In a nutshell, the user records a voice memo onto the device, and it uses speech recognition and perhaps a pinch of AI to translate that memo into Braille. Inside the device is a grid of dots that can be raised or lowered to form the corresponding Braille characters so that the user can read the note later in private.

The idea might sound simple but the execution is quite elegant. TEXT.ure comes as a square device with rounded corners and smooth surfaces. It opens up into two parts, revealing the Braille mechanism inside. The shape is reminiscent of the general form of notepads, or at least how blind people might perceive it through their fingertips.

A great deal of attention was poured into the texture and tactile experience of the device, especially since visually-impaired people rely heavily on their sense of touch. The use of plastic, though questionable, is meant to convey feelings of lightness and softness, while the silicone carrying strap makes gives one an assurance of flexibility and durability. The fabric that covers the hinge connect the two halves also give a warm sensation. The few physical controls that the device has are all located at the edges and are clearly marked so that they can be easily distinguished and manipulated with a single touch.

TEXT.ure might sound and look like a simple device, but its minimalism belies the power that it gives to people who might feel powerless even with today’s technologies. Being able to quickly dictate a note to oneself and be able to read it later with privacy isn’t something that is easily available to visually-impaired people. It’s unfortunate that such devices still exist only in the realm of concepts, but hopefully designers and engineers will be able to come together and build something like this soon.

The post This discreet device helps blind people read voice memos with their fingertips first appeared on Yanko Design.

An inclusive speaker design that lets the blind see through music

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Sometimes we can take the gift of sight for granted – we are fortunate to be reading this right now but we forget that vision is used beyond just reading too. Think about it, to listen to music we use an app to select a genre or skip a song, to cook we use a recipe book or Google it quickly which shows that we are dependent on our sight even to make the most of our other sensory experiences! Stephen Ow and Kah Kiat wanted this feeling to be accessible to all so they created ‘Note’ – a book that is a mixtape for the visually impaired or the blind. I love the name Note, it strikes the right ‘chord’ with the music and book lovers!

Note is basically a smart speaker but in the shape of a book. Why shaped like a book? Because it is one of the first things that the visually impaired/blind demographic would be likely to pick up for education or entertainment thanks to Braille’s global use. Hence, Note combines the inherent behavior (gestures one makes when reading a book) with the language they know to give them the ability to listen to music without having the need to “see” the screen of an app. You may wonder why not use a voice-controlled smart speaker? The designers wanted to make a device with a personal touch rather than relying on the gift of speech that the user may or may not have, so to make this accessible to every kind of blind person, Note was given its unique form and function.

The book inspired jukebox is created on the pillars of inclusive design that optimizes the users’ existing skillset and especially focusing on “touch” which is crucial for the visually impaired. Books are easier to operate than speakers because they don’t require any set-up. The user can flip a page for a new genre or flip back to play another song. A cool feature is how the volume control works – it is adjusted on how wide the book is opened. The pages are double-hinged which allows for a small electrical box to be placed in the device for sensors and switches inspired by how we open musical greeting cards. Each page has the details in Braille so the user can enjoy their music independently and that itself is a moment they must treasure given that almost every other activity involves assistance.

It is truly the little things that give joy in life, like seeing music and reading through speakers!

Designers: Stephen Ow and Kah Kiat

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