Touch

What it does

Touch is a smart ring designed to assist the visually impaired identify color and read small texts by simply touching an item. It can be used in everyday tasks such as shopping for clothes or groceries, allowing for a greater sense of independence.

Your inspiration

We were intrigued by the conceptual idea of color and how could we describe it to someone who couldn't see it. We came across a YouTuber called Tommy Edison where he discusses what it is like to be born blind. He describes in his videos that even though he was born blind he still had his own conceptual understanding of color. Following that, we interviewed 4 members from the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired asking them about their favorite colors. We were surprised by their answers. This made us realize that our aim is not to tell blind people what color is rather to create a tool to aid them to find out at their own pace.

How it works

Touch has three modes; standby mode, color mode, and reading mode. The ring produces haptic, audio, and visual feedback. So when interacting with the ring, it vibrates, lights up, and communicates with the user audibly using any blue tooth earphones. The user is to wear the ring on their non-dominant hand and tap once and hold on the ring to activate color mode. Once in color mode, the user should hold an item for 2 seconds to allow for a color sensor to detect the color and read it back to the user. In the case where multiple colors are detected the user is prompted to slowly move their hand across the clothing item to scan the colors and read them back. The user can switch to reading mode by double-tapping and holding on the ring. They are then prompted to slowly move their finger across the text, to allow for the OCR to read the words back to them. In addition, the ring comes with a portable charging pod that lights up and reads out the charge.

Design process

We approached the problem primarily from a user interaction angle, focusing on how to make this a practical but aesthetically pleasing solution. Our early prototypes were focused on creating an add-on to the common walking cane to go along with a ring. It would house all the buttons needed to interact with the ring. But after user testing, we quickly discovered that a lot of them don't like the cane and would rather not use it as it makes them stand out. So, we shifted our focus to the ring, trying to figure out what's the best way to make it comfortable, stylish, and practical. One solution was to make a ring with a small touch screen similar to the smartwatch, but that proved uncomfortable and quite bulky. After trying multiple shapes and materials such as wood and PVC, we settled on layering laser cut acrylic pieces to create the current prototype. It was simple, subtle, and efficient. After user testing, we discovered that charging the ring was a concern, so we decided to prototype a portable charging pod. The final pod is made in the same way as the ring, with an attached rotating lid to eliminate the chance of losing pieces.

How it is different

The main focus of Touch is style and discretion. After our visit to the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired, one of their main concerns was standing out. So, the idea was to create a functional accessory that acts as a complement to their outfit. Something that they can constantly wear in order to independently pick out their own clothes. By allowing the ring to identify the color of a piece of clothing, it enables a blind person to grow a conceptual idea of color. The ring also lights up according to the color it scans. This is especially important because despite what many may think about the visually impaired, the majority can actually see light and blurred figures. This allows the ring to give visual feedback for the user as well as becomes an instant accessory that matches their outfit. This gives them a greater sense of independence and freedom to put their outfit together as they please without the aid of another person.

Future plans

The next step for Touch is to create a working model. The technology already exists, it is a simple matter of downsizing it to fit in a ring independently. Once that is functional, we would want to create more accessories that complement the ring, for example, necklaces, bracelets, cufflinks, and more. These accessories would use the data of the scanned colors to create a matching set. It could also act as an archive of all the colors scanned. We aim to make Touch an accessory brand accessible for all.

Awards