Vision
There are 253 million visually impaired people in the world, and most of them rely on the white cane, a simple tool primarily designed to provide ground-level obstacle detection. By equipping the white cane with modern technology, WeWALK improves the safety and independence of the visually impaired, allowing them full and equal participation in everyday life. WeWALK’s ergonomic attachment fits on top of any white cane. Its inbuilt sensors, touchpad, Bluetooth, and voice interface provide turn-by-turn navigation and gain new features by integrating smart city solutions. Moreover, WeWALK builds an ecosystem around the Smart Cane with software services for visually impaired people, parents, and teachers.
WeWALK can detect above-ground obstacles using a front-mounted ultrasonic sensor, warning the user with vibration feedback.
Pair with the WeWALK Smartphone App using Bluetooth to access connected mobility services, including navigation, exploration, and public transport, all controlled through the WeWALK smart cane. Constantly Evolve with new app integrations and services are continually being added via software updates, making WeWALK an ideal personal hub for the visually impaired community.
WeWALK has been selected Start-up of the year(2021) by Amazon, awarded an Edison Gold Medal, and is one of TIME’s best inventions of 2019, appearing in more than 500 media sources, including CNN, BBC, and Forbes, and El Pais. WeWALK has also received an honorable mention in World-Changing Ideas, a major annual award by Fast Company that honors products, companies, and designs pursuing innovation for society’s good.
Revolutionary Features of WeWALK Smart Cane and App
WeWALK acts as a new handle when attached to any long cane and was designed to feel natural, allowing for normal cane usage. When walking, WeWALK vibrates to inform you of low-hanging obstacles that the bottom of a cane may typically miss, such as a sign or tree branch. Additionally, pair your cane to the WeWALK app on your iOS or Android device via Bluetooth to make use of WeWALK’s smart features.
Safety First: WeWALK detects above-ground obstacles with ultrasound while still retaining the standard white cane’s ground feedback.
Convenient and Connected: Finding your cane using your phone and vice versa by playing a sound on each. Setting the obstacle detection distance and changing cane settings such as the sound level. Keep one hand free and leave your smartphone in your pocket. Use your voice and WeWALK’s touchpad for quick smartphone control. Your next destination is just a swipe and a tap away.
Go Anywhere and Everywhere: WeWALK’s Navigation feature has been built from the ground up for an accessible experience like no other. Use clock directions, destination tracking, and low-vision mapping to make any journey familiar from the start. Finding your current location and discovering, saving, and navigating new places. All controlled from the app or cane. We have a particular layer built on mapping services that provide more accessible navigation. Voice feedback can come from the cane’s speaker or via a Bluetooth headset.
Limitless Exploration: Discover new places around you with automatic voice feedback as you walk past them, or get a complete list of nearby shops, restaurants, and everything in between. Whichever you choose, WeWALK will get you there.
Public Transport at Your Fingertips: WeWALK launched an official partnership with Moovit (#1 urban mobility app) to enhance mobility. Find out about your transit options, navigate to stops, and check timetables, all in one place.
The Power of Voice: WeWALK has its voice assistant, and it keeps getting smarter. Just say it, and you’re there.
Always Evolving: It’s not just our voice assistant that gets smarter; it’s the entire WeWALK experience. There is a collaboration with Microsoft, where WeWALK participated in Microsoft’s AI program scoping mobility training. The following extensive WeWALK features are just a download away through free and continuous software updates.
WeWALK is more than a product – it is the first step in a societal transformation. By empowering visually impaired people with the technology to fully participate in daily life, WeWALK fosters inclusion and equal participation in society. Furthermore, as WeWALK emphasizes accessibility for its users, it ensures that the product is affordable and intuitive, providing a hub for visually impaired people worldwide.
The Cadence tablet is a revolutionary device designed to enhance accessibility for the blind community, combining cutting-edge tactile dot technology with innovative software and applications. Its pocket-sized form factor, roughly the size of a large mobile phone, makes it a portable yet powerful tool for education, communication, and entertainment. The Cadence tablet’s user-friendly features and durable design offer a transformative experience, making it an essential device for daily use.
Cadence Tablet Amazing Features
- Tactile Dot Technology: The Cadence tablet is equipped with a 384-dot refreshable screen, delivering high-quality tactile feedback. This screen supports 48 cells of 8-dot braille, arranged in four lines of 12 cells each, allowing users to read multi-line electronic braille effortlessly.
- Comfort-Read Dots: Designed with soft resistance, the dots reduce finger strain, providing a comfortable reading experience even during extended use.
- Modular Design: Multiple Cadence tablets can be connected to form a larger display. For instance, connecting four tablets creates a desktop setup with eight lines of 24 cells each, offering greater versatility for reading and other activities.
- Navigation and Control: The device features Perkins keys and a directional pad for intuitive navigation. Seven multi-use keys enable easy selection of lines, access to labels and menus, and highlighting objects, among other functions.
- Long-Lasting Battery: The Cadence tablet’s internal battery is engineered for efficiency, lasting up to a week on a single charge under regular daily use. Even with a full load of classes or activities, the battery life is dependable, minimizing the need for frequent recharging.
- Fast Refresh Rate: The tablet boasts a fast refresh rate, ensuring smooth page transitions and responsive performance, whether you’re reading, viewing graphics, or playing video games.
- USB Connectivity: A USB port allows for easy charging and direct connection to a computer, enhancing compatibility with popular screen readers like NVDA. This feature is particularly useful for users who require a seamless interface between the tablet and their computer.
- Built-In Calibration Mode: The Cadence tablet includes a calibration mode that allows users to make adjustments directly on the device, eliminating the need to send it in for servicing.
Application:
- Education: Ideal for students, the Cadence tablet supports interactive learning through real-time graphic updates, multi-line braille reading, and collaborative features that enable teamwork and information sharing.
- Entertainment: With its fast refresh rate and versatile controls, the tablet also offers opportunities for leisure activities such as playing video games, ensuring that users can enjoy both work and play on the go.
- Professional Use: The Cadence tablet’s portability and robust feature set make it a valuable tool for professionals who require reliable access to braille, whether in meetings, while traveling, or during presentations.
The Cadence tablet is more than just a braille reader—it is a comprehensive solution that empowers users to interact with the world around them in new and meaningful ways. From its innovative tactile dot technology to its ergonomic design, the Cadence tablet sets a new standard in accessibility devices, making it an indispensable tool for the blind community.
NaviLens has been designed specifically to enable blind and partially sighted people to be able to access and locate information and interact with the environment around them.
NaviLens codes are optical codes that contain information and can be placed on anything from buildings to packaging materials. NaviLens codes can be read by a smartphone camera from NaviLens App and do not require any power or transmit any signal. The NaviLens App is free, easy to use and works on both the Android and Apple operating systems and is completely accessible.
Benefits of NaviLens Codes:
- Help people with sight loss independently navigate and find their way around cities and spaces
- Do not require any power or transmit any signal
- The NaviLens app can recognise NaviLens codes in the vicinity. It does this without the need to focus on the code or know exactly where it is situated
- Information is presented both visually, audibly and through haptics; effectively through touch.
- Offer real-time information such as train arrivals, etc..
- Information can be delivered in 36 languages
- Revolution for indoor navigation where it’s not possible to use GPS or other computer-vision methods.
Amazing Features of NaviLens Codes
Long Distance
Scannable and Readable from a long distance of upto 50 m
Quick Reading
Reading codes with NaviLens is almost instantaneous: 0.03 seconds
Wide Reading Angle
Wide scanning and reading angle of upto 160º
Lighting Conditions
Readable in all lighting conditions
Accuracy and Orientation
Accurate distance and guidance information
No Need to Focus
No need to focus on the code or know where they are located, the codes are readable even at 80º angle
NaviLens helps make cities smarter and more inclusive. The capabilities of this code allow users to interact more easily and accessible with their environment in places such as public spaces, metro stations, bus stops, airports, museums or public buildings.
Where NaviLens Codes are Currently Used
NaviLens – Bus Stops
NaviLens – Buses
NaviLens – Airports
NaviLens – Metro Stations
NaviLens – Tactile Pavements
NaviLens – Museum
NaviLens – Museums
Moving independently and safely is essential for a better and full life for blind and visually impaired people. One important way of gaining independence is undoubtedly information. Blind or visually impaired people who have difficulty entering an unknown space need precise and immediate information that is able to represent the place where they are and the services that it may offer.
Tactile Indicators are designed to make blind or visually impaired people as independent and safe as possible in their movements, whether at work or at leisure.
To get everybody think “accessible”, not only overcoming architectural barriers but also cultural barriers to make the world around us safer, more welcoming and inclusive for everyone.
Tactile Warning Studs and Tactile Paving Tile Systems
Tactile Studs – Surface mounted warning studs made in accordance with best international practices and Dubai Universal Design Code Guidelines for blind and visually impaired people for indoor & outdoor applications.
Tactile Warning Studs provide an underfoot warning to identify hazards and dangerous areas where there is a change in levels or where there is an unprotected opening such as open stairwells and platforms.
Tactile Warning Studs are available as a Pin Type and Adhesive Type and are used depending on the Project Requirements.
High Quality Tactile Warning Studs are made of various materials like Stainless Steel, PVC, Vinyl and ABS, providing immense flexibility, durability and functionality to help blind and visually impaired people safely move about.
Surface mounted tactile paving tile systems provide a fast, easy and economical solution, providing guidance and warning for visually impaired pedestrians. Surface mounted tactile paving systems offer many advantages over traditionally used concrete materials. Not only do they provide greater longevity, the cost of installation is also lower. With no excavation required, the installation of surface bonded tactile paving tiles takes a fraction of the time it would take to lay concrete pavers. Tests have also shown that composite tactile paving tiles are significantly harder wearing, up to seven times more durable. The full range of self-adhesive tactile tiles is manufactured from a polyurethane resin and stone composite (incorporating recycled material).
Types: Polyurethane resin/stone composite. Can be fixed to asphalt: Concrete, steel, wood & tiled surfaces using a choice of dedicated adhesive. Colours available: Buff and Red. Sizes: 400mm x 400mm and 450mm x 450mm. High slip resistance in dry or wet condition. UV tested – no colour fade.
Tactile Guidance Strips and Tactile Paving Tile Systems
Guidance Tactile Indicators are designed to provide walking surfaces with a series of raised bars, which are specifically orientated to guide visually impaired walkers down the safest possible route.
Guidance tactile paving is used when blind and visually impaired visitors need to be guided around common urban obstacles such as lampposts and bins, and when guiding pedestrians to specific locations.
Tactile directional strips are available as a Pin Type and Adhesive Type and are used depending on the Project Requirements. High Quality Tactile Directional Strips are made of various materials like Stainless Steel, PVC, Vinyl and ABS, providing immense flexibility, durability and functionality to help blind and visually impaired people safely move about.
Guidance path surface tiles guide visually impaired people along a route when the traditional cues, such as a property line or kerb edge, are not available. It can also be used to guide people around obstacles, for example, street furniture in a pedestrianised area.
Tiles: Hard wearing stone & polyurethane resin composite. Wear resistance measured at 7 times greater than the equivalent concrete product.Can be fixed to: Asphalt, concrete, metal, wood & tile surfaces. Colours available: Buff, Charcoal or Grey. Types: Polyurethane stone resin composite. Sizes: 400mm x 400mm. Rapid installation – reduced labour costs & disruption. High slip resistance in dry or wet conditions. UV tested – no colour fade.
What are Video Magnifiers?
Electronic video magnifiers offer significant advantages over traditional magnifying glasses and are simple to use. By replacing a glass lens with camera and screen technology, they are able to provide variable magnification, superior image quality and a range of enhanced, high contrast, viewing modes for reading text. Improved image clarity also enables the magnifier to be viewed at a more comfortable distance, improving posture and comfort while reading and writing, making reading easier, faster and more enjoyable.
Handheld Video Magnifiers
HandyReader
- Widest magnification range available in a 3.5” screen unit.
- Enables faster and more comfortable reading than optical magnifiers.
- Powerful, pocket sized video magnifier allows access to information wherever you are: around the home, at the office, while shopping, in restaurants etc.
- Continuous zoom.
- Fast reading speed.
- Adjustable screen and LED brightness.
- User replaceable battery.
Transportable Video Magnifier
Helix HD
- Updated & improved cost effective and lightweight HD video magnifier.
- Dual 60 fps auto focus HD cameras offer high speed, blur free reading.
- Makes reading faster and more pleasurable.
- A4 page width viewing.
- Foldable and compact.
- Easy to move between multiple locations.
- Autofocus and fixed focus modes.
- Connects via HDMI to any TV or computer monitor.
- HDMI switcher.
- Tactile wireless control pad enables instant access to all main features.
- Enhanced reading colours, lines, blinds, multi-lines and signature box.
- Work In-Line or Side-by-Side: The unique wide-angle camera lenses and dual-working heights enable the camera head to easily fit under standard monitors when paired with the monitor arm accessory.
Reading Devices
Our standalone reading machines photograph any printed text and start reading it aloud within seconds, with the push of a button. They are user-friendly and suitable for people of all ages and abilities who are partially sighted or completely blind. They also allow the document to be magnified (with the optional Feature Pack) through 6 viewing modes.
ReadEasy Evolve Range
ReadEasy Evolve ECO and MAX both offer:
- Fast and accurate reading of any text.
- Tactile, user-friendly controls for all ages.
- Free software updates.
- Letters, bank statements, books, recipes, product packaging and more are all read with ease with the latest human-sounding voices.
- IntelliCapture prevents capture when a document is being moved e.g. turning the page of a book.
- Read documents in any orientation.
- Automatic analysis of the page to identify columns, pictures and tables.
- Unique automatic table detection and navigation makes tables easy to understand e.g. bank statements.
- Bluetooth headphones / speaker support.
- Automatic document cropping removes unwanted backgrounds, such as patterned surfaces; improving accuracy and speed.
- LED lighting allows capturing in poorly lit areas or complete darkness.
- 40 reading speeds.
- Supports 30+ languages with automatic detection.
- Loud, clear, stereo speakers with tactile volume slider
- Integrated carry handle & patented detachable, stowable camera.
- Headphone jack (wired headphones included) for private listening.
ReadEasy Evolve Model |
||
| Features: | ReadEasy Evolve ECO | ReadEasy Evolve MAX |
| Time to Read | 7 Seconds | 2 Seconds |
| Camera Resolution | 13 MP | 18 MP |
| Capture Area | A4 | A3 |
| Smallest font size | 5pt | 5pt |
| Voicepack Options | Vocalizer | Vocalizer or Ivona |
| Power Usage | 3.9 Watts | 17.5 Watts |
| Weight | 1.66 kg or 1.95 kg with the battery | 1.98 kg |
| Battery Option | Yes | No |
Readit Connectable Reading Machines
Designed for blind and partially sighted computer users, these portable systems connect to your PC & both magnify & read documents out loud via the Readit software. The Scholar HD is also capable of magnifying and reading distant objects.
Readit Air – Readit software and Air camera
- Continuous, multi-page A4 reading, ideal for books etc.
- Lightweight & compact, fold-down camera.
- 21 reading speeds • Bank statement mode.
- High accuracy & ability to analyse page layout to read columns.
- Documents can be saved or exported.
- Adjustable LED lighting.
- Auto language detection (30 + languages).
- 4 text highlight options.
- Intelligent motion detection increases accuracy when capturing books.
- 3D de-skewing & depth-of-field for books (up to 10cm).
- Capture documents at up to 20 pages per minute.
- Supports all multi-touch touch screens • 6 enhanced viewing modes.
- Powerful text search.
- Save time & begin reading from exact location.
- Documents can be saved or exported in: MS Word, text, PDF, MP3 & image formats; & imported from almost all MS file formats.
- Virtual X/Y mode to zoom and pan around the live document on screen.
- LED lighting allows capturing in poorly lit areas, even complete darkness.
- Soft transport pouch, headphones & contrast/positioning guide included.
Readit ZEN and Zen Max – the ZEN devices are the latest USB connectable portable camera solutions for Readit
- Paired with Readit software, ZEN delivers near instant, highly accurate OCR with the ability to read text as small as 4pt.
- Highest resolution 18MP camera for the most accurate recognition results.
- 30 fps Full HD video magnifier to magnify documents in real-time, fill in paperwork etc.
- Accurate recognition of complex document layouts and even round objects like food tins • Text-to-speech and a video magnifier system in one.
- User-friendly solution for laptop/PC users of all abilities is both compact and lightweight, weighing just 1.25 kgs.
- Place your document under the camera, press Enter on your keyboard and within seconds, the document is being read aloud, in your desired text size, colour and format.
- LED lighting allows capturing in poorly lit areas, even complete darkness.
- Instantly save and reformat documents onto your computer.
- Designed for the requirements of students, business professionals and home users including anyone on the move with a Windows laptop or PC.
- Ideal solution to be moved between locations (e.g. home, work or school).
- Fast multi-page capture: 20 pages per minute capture means you can capture and store entire text books or long documents within in minutes.
- Tactile positioning guide allows users to perfectly place & capture their documents by feel alone on either the left or right side.
- Virtual X/Y mode to pan around the live document using your mouse or touch-screen.
- Multi-touch support for touch-screens allows pinch-to-zoom and tap to start reading.
- Uses a single USB 3.0 port – no need to keep the battery of a separate device charged.
- Footprint: Occupies just 85mm x 75mm of table area.
- Versatility: Captures text from almost any surface, flat or round. Readit ZEN’s camera allows capture deep into the spines of books without flattening them, as well as read 3D objects like tins.
Readit Scholar HD – All the features of the Readit Air, with the addition of:
- Lightweight, portable and compact camera system that plugs into any PC or laptop via one USB 2.0 connection.
- Instantly capture any document (closeup or distant) and it will convert it into large print and read it aloud; letters, bank statements, text-books, novels, product packaging etc. all become fully accessible for blind and low vision users.
- 16 MP camera for accurate full page (A3) text-to-speech.
- Unique 21x optical zoom with optical and digital stabilisation making high zoom levels usable.
- Continuous, multi-page A3 and A4 reading.
- Unique distance read-out-loud feature to access whiteboards & projectors.
- Camera can be twisted upwards and angled to view a presentation or teacher, or pointed directly at the user for personal grooming.
- Ideal product for students and business professionals.
- Featuring 720P live image quality (1280 x 720 pixels at 60 fps), the Scholar HD provides a significantly sharper and clearer image in live mode, particularly at magnifications below 5x: Enabling handwriting to be enlarged as it’s written, or notes to be quickly magnified.
- Extremely fast set up and packing away: Readit Scholar HD takes less than 8 seconds to set up from folded and connecting its USB cable!
Readit Camera Model |
||||
| Features: | Air | Zen | Zen Max | Scholar HD |
| Camera Resolution | 5 MP | 18 MP | 18 MP | 21 MP |
| Zoom Type | Digital | Digital | Digital | Optical 21x |
| Capture Area | A4 and A3 | A4 | A3 | A3 |
| Smallest Font Size | 6pt | 4pt | 5pt | 6pt |
| Live Video Magnifier | No | Full HD 30 fps | Full HD 30 fps | Full HD 60 fps |
| Distance / Self View | No | No | No | Yes |
| Battery | No | No | No | 8 Hours |
| USB Connection | 1 x USB 2.0 | 1 x USB 3.0 | 1 x USB 3.0 | 1 x USB 2.0 |
| Footprint | 62 x 52 mm | 85 x 75 mm | 85 x 75 mm | 180 x 270 mm |
| Weight | 0.5 kg | 1.25 kg | 1.25 kg | 1.3 kg |
CoaSt
An education / business focussed distance camera solution with both Windows and iPad support (Mac and Android support to follow).
Weighing in at just 350g, this lightweight device boasts a 4 MP camera with an impressive 10x optical zoom. It comes with an adjustable height stand. It gives business professionals and students unparalleled access to all the content they require.
Unique Features of CoaSt with Readit Software
- OCR and TTS: Instant OCR and text-to-speech with the latest human sounding voices (at both closeup and distance).
- 6 powerful text views: Original Image (colour enhanced), Overlay, Column, Horizontal, Vertical and Word views make visually reading text in documents far more comfortable, faster and enjoyable.
- Smooth: Up to 360 frames per second when panning and auto-scrolling documents means text is very sharp and clear even at very high speeds.
- Multi-page capture: High speed multi-page capture with background recognition recognises pages as quickly as they’re captured..
- Navigation and Text Search: Navigate using the familiar navigation shortcut keys and jump straight to text faster than a sighted user with a book thanks with the powerful Find function.
- Multi-language: Supports over 30 languages (included) with automatic language detection and automatic voice switching based on the language.
- Document Import: Load PDFs, Word documents, image files etc. directly into Readit for them to be recognised and reformatted in any one of the 6 text views.
- Document export: Export any document from Readit to an accessible PDF (with text font and colour enhanced), Word file, txt, rtf, MP3 (to listen to) etc.
- Print to Readit: Any software with a File -> Print function can have its document printed directly into Readit within seconds
- Screenshot OCR: Instantly capture anything on screen and have it read aloud and shown in our chosen text view
- Copy and Paste: Copy and paste documents into Readit, or copy text within Readit to paste into your text editor using standard shortcut keys.
A portable, handheld device, Bonocle is designed with a “braille cell,” which consists of three buttons and different haptics that enable users to interpret the contents of any electronic device through the medium of braille. The gadget helps visually impaired people to read, write, count, take measurements, and even play games.
Designed to be affordable and portable (it’s about the same size as an iPhone Xs Max), the device has an optical sensor that detects its relative position, just like a mouse, and buttons to move to another text line, giving the user autonomous control when navigating content. To maximize its use, there is a growing application library for Bonocle to offer more functions, such as apps for education, productivity, and games.
How Bonocle Works?
Bonocle works like an infinite braille paper with multiple reading modes. Each can be customized to match the user’s reading pace, comfort, and preference for a unique personal reading experience. Motion mode allows the user to slide Bonocle over a surface as if sliding your figure over an infinite braille line. Auto-scroll mode lets the user chose reading speed while the braille cell automatically refreshes under your finger. The flexibility allows the users to adapt, learn, improve and enjoy. A combination that is essential for a greater reading experience.
Learning with Bonocle
Braille education is an important foundation for a blind person. The factors contributing to braille literacy are the target of Bonocle’s educational suit of apps. These educational experiences work at home or in the classroom. Bonocle includes parents, siblings, teachers and friends, sighted or blind, with simple yet rich visual elements and their tactile equivalent. Learn the alphabet, spelling, math, or the periodic table. The experience is now easier and more seamless than ever before . Connect to all the Bonocles in the classroom and transmit the letters to each student simultaneously. One cell ensures the users know exactly what they are reading at any time.
Braille Digital Gaming with Bonocle
Braille digital gaming is the novel concept inspired by the positive impact of games on educational experiences. A union of fun and immersion with the added benefit of improving finger sensitivity. In each game Bonocle combines tactile feedback with motion gestures, haptic vibrations and audio for an immersive VR-like experience that does not depend on the visuals. Some games promote inclusion with a multiplayer mode, regardless of the vision capabilities. The users can compete with friends and family in-game at any time.
Bonocle Specification
Size and weight: Length- 8.5cm, Width – 4 cm, Weight – 90gm
Material: ABS Plastic
Color: It is designed in matte black finish that looks and feels awesome with the teal select button
Accessories: USB cable, Strap
Buttons: 2 System Buttons, 5 Symmetrical Function Buttons
