New Technology for Deaf-Blind Developed in India and Germany
From DAWN.com and Ecouterre.com blog
Two new technologies to help deaf-blind individuals communicate were in the news today!
Indian Designer Develops Morse-based Texting
An Indian graduate student has developed a mobile phone application that enables people with sight and hearing impairments to send and receive text messages. The PocketSMS application was developed for Android smartphones, which are generally cheaper than Apple’s iPhones. The application coverts text into Morse code vibrations so that users can “feel” the message.
Vibrating Lorm Glove Helps to Send Text Messages
For people who are both deaf and blind, the hurdles in communicating with others can often lead to crippling social isolation. A new “smart” glove by Germany’s Design Research Lab, however, allows its wearer to compose and transmit messages to smartphones or other mobile devices. Based on a hand-touch language known as Lorm, which assigns letters of the alphabet to different parts of one’s palm, the glove includes tactile pressure sensors that allow the user to “lorm” onto his or her own hand to compose a message, then transmit to the intended recipient through the magic of Bluetooth.
– Thanks to NVRC, Fairfax