Ho-lee crap. Now I’ve seen it all (no pun intended). This camera, called the Touch Sight, was developed by Chueh Lee of Samsung China. The basic short and sweet is that you hold the camera against your forehead and when you snap a photo, the camera grabs the image and converts it to braille. So you can actually feel the image against your forehead. It also grabs three seconds of sound, making it easier to find and manage photos later. Unbelievable.
Here’s more about how the camera works from the designer, according to Yanko Design…
“Touch Sight is a revolutionary digital camera designed for visually impaired people. Simple features make it easy to use, including a unique feature which records sound for three seconds after pressing the shutter button. The user can then use the sound as reference when reviewing and managing the photos. Touch Sight does not have an LCD but instead has a lightweight, flexible Braille display sheet which displays a 3D image by embossing the surface, allowing the user to touch their photo. The sound file and picture document combine to become a touchable photo that is saved in the device and can be uploaded to share with others–and downloaded to other Touch Sight cameras.”
It appears to currently be a working prototype. I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make it to market sooner or later, though. What a great idea.
[via Yanko Design]
What a waste of time and money
WOW! I know a blind teenager who would love this! He wants to know more about his town – has asked me to describe our surroundings in various locations when we’ve gone cycling on a 2-passenger quadracycle (built of PVC pipe – see American Speedster’s sidekick model, plans available thru internet). He also rides a tandem, and most often a 1-passeneger 2-wheeler beside his friends who tell him when he needs to steer more to the left or right. For those out there who think the blind are leading boring, unproductive lives, read Sabriye Tenberken’s “My Path Leads to Tibet”