Researchers convey developed too faster agency to type on demeanor on screens alongside out seeing the screen. The solution, called BrailleTouch, is perfect for blind smart telephone users. BrailleTouch uses the iii dots on each side of the covert to stand upwards for Braille alphabet. BrailleTouch is designed to hold out used alongside the demeanor on covert facing away from the user. The 1st, s too third fingers of both hands are used to demeanor on the half-dozen dots. Researchers claim that BrailleTouch allows users to type eyes-free alongside 92 percent accuracy too 32 words per minutes. BrailleTouch is a prototype app too is not available to the public.
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ATLANTA - Feb. 17, 2012 - Imagine if smartphone too tablet users could text a banking corporation complaint nether the tabular array during a coming together without anyone beingness the wiser. Mobile gadget users mightiness also hold out enabled to text acre walking, watching TV or socializing without taking their eyes off what they're doing.
Georgia Tech researchers convey built a paradigm app for touch-screen mobile devices that is vying to hold out a consummate solution for texting without the ask to expect at a mobile gadget's screen.
"Research has shown that chorded, or gesture-based, texting is a feasible solution for eyes-free written communication inwards the future, making obsolete the ask for users to expect at their devices acre inputting text on them," said Mario Romero, Postdoctoral Fellow inwards the School of Interactive Computing (IC) too the project's master copy investigator.
The complimentary open-source app, called BrailleTouch, incorporates the Braille writing organization used yesteryear the visually impaired. It has been conceived equally a texting tool for whatsoever of the millions of smartphone telephone users worldwide.
Early studies alongside visually impaired participants expert inwards Braille typing convey demonstrated that users tin input at to the lowest degree half-dozen times the reveal of words per infinitesimal when compared to other query prototypes for eyes-free texting on a demeanor on screen. Users arrive at upwards to 32 words per infinitesimal alongside 92 pct accuracy alongside the paradigm app for the iPhone.
"We are currently designing a written report to formally evaluate BrailleTouch through both quantitative too qualitative methods," said Caleb Southern, an IC graduate student. "We volition mensurate the typing speed too accuracy of visually impaired users too capture the feedback from written report participants inwards areas such equally comfort, repose of role too perceived value."
For sighted users, the query squad is exploring how BrailleTouch could hold out a universal eyes-free mobile texting app that replaces soft QWERTY keyboards too other texting technologies.
"BrailleTouch is an out-of-the-box solution that volition locomote alongside smartphones too tablets too allow users to start learning the Braille alphabet inwards a few minutes," said Romero. "It also reduces the ask for expensive proprietary Braille keyboard devices, which typically toll thousands of dollars."
The researchers convey designed BrailleTouch to address the limitations of soft keyboards, which create non supply tactile feedback, equally good equally physical keyboards, which frequently role pocket-sized too numerous fixed buttons. BrailleTouch is the alone iPhone app inwards existence that uses a six-finger chording procedure that replicates the traditional Braille keyboard.
The app uses a gesture-based solution yesteryear turning the iPhone's touchscreen into a soft-touch keyboard programmed for Braille too requiring alone half-dozen keys, making it a practical solution for the express covert existent estate on smartphones.
The primal characteristic of the BrailleTouch technology scientific discipline is the role of the six-key configuration too thus that the keyboard fits on the covert too users continue their fingers inwards a relatively fixed seat acre texting. This pattern allows users to agree their device alongside the covert facing away from them ¬– cradling the device alongside their palms or pinkies too thumbs – too to type alongside a bulk of their fingers, identical to typing Braille on a measure keyboard.
The squad behind BrailleTouch is led yesteryear Romero too IC Professor Gregory Abowd, co-principal investigator. Former IC affiliate Brian Frey conceived the original stance too developed the kickoff paradigm too Southern created an improved design. They are conducting usability studies together alongside James Clawson, a Ph.D. candidate inwards IC, too Kate Rosier, a master's graduate inwards Digital Media too bachelor's graduate inwards Computational Media.
The query grouping has developed iPhone too iPad versions of BrailleTouch too is currently working on Android versions. The app late won the MobileHCI 2011 contest for pattern at the MobileHCI conference inwards Stockholm, Sweden.
BrailleTouch volition hold out demonstrated at the Abilities Expo-Atlanta 2012, taking house Feb. 17-19 at the Georgia World Congress Center. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 video of BrailleTouch inwards activeness is available at the next link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIEO1bUFHsI
This projection was supported inwards business office yesteryear the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC), which is funded yesteryear the National Institute on Disability too Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the U.S.A. Department of Education, nether grant reveal H133E110002.
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