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This Braille smartwatch is bringing the world closer to the blind

South Korea-based startup specialises in innovative solutions for the blind.
It has created products that are low cost, small and easy to carry.

The Dot Smartwatch, which claims to be the world’s first Braille smartwatch,
lets the blind receive real time information from their phone, such as
notifications, text messages, and Facebook messages in braille.

The smartwatch vibrates when there is a notification on the phone and the
user cans elect and read the messages in Braille. This way the blind are
connected, like everyone else.

Dot has developed a mechanism where there are four motorised modules under
the watch’s dial and each module has six possible dots. The cell is the
main component of the watch that makes the dots go up and down. Each dot is
capable of moving up and down individually to display up to four characters
at a time. The user can read braille on the smartwatch’s dial.

Dot has also developed its own text-to-braille engine. This is the technology
that converts every text message or notification received on the phone, from
English or any other language, into braille on the smartwatch.

The smartwatch also helps navigate maps, read news, check the weather and
control home appliances. India is the largest market for Dot and that it
wants to bring its products to help improve the literacy rates of the 60
million blind population in India.

Dot is also developing an educational Kindle-like device, which is the
equivalent of a braille book for India. The device looks like a tab, and has
the provision to read braille on it.

Dot has just begun shipping to the US and will soon start retailing its
products in India, its biggest market.