BrailleTouch, an app created at Georgia Institute of Technology, is slated to be on the market within the next couple of weeks. While the braille system isn’t anything new to those who are visually impaired, affordable apps that allow texting without the use of vision is something they have yet to see.
BrailleTouch is used only on touchscreen phones, which has been somewhat of an issue with Braille since the user can’t feel any buttons or see the screen. However, since the BrailleTouch app only uses seven “buttons” and the user only has to relocate their fingers to use one of those, the issue of lacking visual capability has been resolved.
Braille is based on a system of correctly placed dots. Repeating patterns are used and revised in order to create new characters. If this sounds confusing, consider the way binary code works, using only two digits placed in the correct order to create a function. Theoretically, anyone who can remember a repeating pattern will be able to use this app, which may change the world of texting altogether.
There are a couple of unique features that users will have to get used to. For one thing, current devices used by those who are visually impaired and want to text can cost upwards of around $1,700. That’s because most of the software that used for Braille texting comes with hardware as well, which the user must purchase and supply the battery power for. The Braille Touch is just another app on the phone. The only hardware that comes with it is the case for the phone, which is used to assist with proper finger placement as the phone will be held with the screen facing outward.
One thing that may not change much for those that are frequent texters is the lack of using the thumb, a digit that people who read Braille don’t use to read due to the thickness of the skin. The app also includes a voice feature which alerts the user as to what letters they have typed in, allowing them to correct typos as needed.
The BrailleTouch isn’t just something that’s going to benefit the visually impaired. It’s also bound to benefit those who can see but are intimidated by the small keys on phones that both offer the touch screen feature as well as those that don’t. If you’re worried about the speed of your typing, don’t. A paper written by the creators of the app at Georgia Institute of Technology offers up that those who used the Braille Touch prototype on their iPods were texting at the rate of up to 84 words per minute while proficient texters were reaching levels of 100 wpm.