The Dot is a smartwatch that's meant for the visually impaired
The Dot is a smartwatch that's meant for the visually impaired
With smartwatches gaining popularity (thanks in no small part to the Apple Watch), we reckon it'll be just a matter of time before the electronic devices replace real watches on our wrists.All fine and dandy, but what if you're blind? A normal smartwatch isn't going to do you much good.
That's where the Dot comes in. The Dot is a smartwatch with a braille 'screen', so that the visually impaired can use it. Instead of a touchscreen like in conventional smartwatches, the Dot simply has pins that raise or lower themselves when the watch detects a finger is on the pins, to form words in braille. Since everybody has different reading speeds, the speeds of the pins can be customized. The Dot is capable of displaying four braille character at once.
Not only does the smartwatch tell time, it also has some functions of a normal smartwatch as well. It has messenger capabilities, alarm functions, navigation as well as support for Bluetooth 4.0.
The Dot also functions as an e-reader, which allows the wearer to read e-books off it instead, of springing for a dedicated braille reader, which are incredibly expensive.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of all is that the Dot can supposedly teach braille to those who don't know the language.
The smartwatch is supposed to have a battery life of about 10 hours, and should cost around US$300 when it launches in December.
Source: Dot homepage
Via: Inhabitat