Feeling life under your fingers

The device consists of a tablet, a relief grid placed over the screen, and an application.

The blind and visually impaired can be very skillful at using tablets and smartphones with touchscreens but they are not able to see object shapes on one-dimensional surfaces. The digital agency 4WEB from Slovenia has developed and patented the Feelif multimedia device which enables the blind and visually impaired to feel these shapes.
The device consists of a tablet, a relief grid placed over the screen, and an application. It applies vibrations, sounds, and voices to help users identify shapes displayed on the tablet screen or which they drew themselves. The small elevated points on the grid allow for better orientation as the user slides his or her fingers on the screen.
The application makes it easier for the blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille and geometrical functions. But the developers of the Feelif device are also looking for ways to apply this technology to adults.
They are testing a device on the Slovenian market and the first users will receive it within a month.
The Feelif device costs 500 euros. “When we are sure that the product is at an excellent level, we will make it available on the global market: first in European countries, and later in the USA,” says Katarina Pavšek, a member of the 4WEB team.There are about 14 million potential users of the device in both markets, and 88 million potential users worldwide.
The company is also developing an open platform which will create a network of people linked to the blind and visually impaired, and that will facilitate the sharing information.