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Idea - FICS

WordTouch

Team and Contact Details

Student Name School Degree Year Email
Malik Omer Ahmed MukhtarSADAUndergraduateFourth[email protected]
Maira AltafSADAUndergraduateFourth[email protected]

Inter School Idea ? No
Do you need expertises from another area: Yes
If Yes please provide details of expertises you need: Arduino coding, electrical circuitry

Idea Details

Idea Name: WordTouch
Slogan: A keyboard for Pakistani Blind individuals
Supervisor Name: Jawwad Zaidi
Supervisor Designation: Assistant Professor
Supervisor School: SADA
Supervisor Department: Industrial Design
Contact number: +923215148916
Email ID: [email protected]
Abstract:
    Considering the lack of accessible products for the visually-impaired and blind, students and professionals in Pakistan have to rely on conventional methods for learning and working in their daily lives which leaves them at a disadvantage compared to their sighted peers. The proposed solution is an input device dedicated to braille users combined with a refreshable braille display for output.
What is the unmet need in society that your idea will fulfill ?
    Pakistan is far behind in providing accessible products for its visually impaired citizens, forcing them to use QWERTY keyboards which makes them slower in working. Furthermore, there are no devices which incorporate the Urdu version of Braille.
Who needs it ? How many would benefit ?
   According to a national survey in 2003, there have been estimated to be 1.14 million blind adults in Pakistan with the majority belonging to regions in Punjab and Balochistan. This means that roughly 15% of the population has some form of visual impairment.
How will the solution works
    The form of the keyboard is designed with console controllers as the inspiration. The user will hold it in both hands with the index, middle, and ring fingers moving to the back of the device where 6 braille input buttons, arranged in a 3x2 matrix orientation, will be placed. The top has the command buttons such as enter, space, delete, control, alt, etc so that the user can also edit and format the document.
Who are your competitors ? How is your solution different
    Existing products in the market include Braille Notetakers such as the BrailleTouch and BrailleType however these are used in smartphones and do not provide the user with tactile feedback. Braille Notetakers do provide a physical interface however these devices do not include Urdu Braille.
Status: new
Entry Date & Time: 2022-12-13 (1044)