Qualcomm Makes Touchscreen For The Blind
- Project Ray
- Uses vibration
- Voice features
Qualcomm is currently working on a software that could help blind people enjoy touchscreen phones.
- Project Ray
- Uses vibration
- Voice features
Qualcomm is currently working on a software that could help blind people enjoy touchscreen phones.
With the continued popularity of touchscreen smartphones, it is quite understandable that even people who are short on vision want to enjoy these new innovations. However, without physical keyboards or buttons, this is presently not possible.
Qualcomm, which produces the Snapdragon SoC that powers many Android phones, is now building a software with features for blind people that could make life significantly easier for the 285 million visually-impaired people around the world.
The software ”Project Ray” features a user interface that is built from the perspective of view of a blind person. The Project Ray handset is built on top of Android and is currently in testing in Israel.
One key feature for this software is a prompt that will let a user know how to interact with the phone from the touch of the screen. The device will use vibration to provide useful feedback. The features and actions possible right now include making calls, texting with a vocal read-out and doing most social networking.
In addition, the Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped is making a lot of blind-accessible media available for download.
