Systems and methods for braille reading using a fingerprint scanner and varying vibration frequencies are disclosed. A method includes: obtaining, by a computer device, data defining a braille cell; identifying, by the computer device, one of six predefined areas of a fingerprint based on the one of the six predefined areas being centered on a fingerprint sensor; determining, by the computer device, a state of a braille dot of the braille cell that corresponds to the one of the six predefined areas of the fingerprint; and generating, by the computer device, one of a first type of vibration and a second type of vibration based on the determined state of the braille dot.

Multipurpose tactile warning panels for use in pedestrian walkways, and in particular tactile warning panels that are designed and built with multifunction/multipurpose capabilities that serve the visually impaired and enable the deployment of smart city technology by integrating tactile warning systems and subsurface enclosures that can withstand pressures of five (5) tons up to and exceeding sixty (60) tons and incorporate small cells, beacons, sensors, Fog Computing, electric energy generation, rechargeable power supplies, wireless M2M communication and a plethora of other smart city technologies.

A braille cell and associated braille pin support and pin actuation assemblies are disclosed. The braille cell can include a frame, braille pins movable up and down between raised and lowered positions, and a pin actuation assembly to individually move the pins. The braille cell can include support arms, each of which having a base end connected to the frame and a pin end connected to and following a motion of a respective pin between its raised and lowered positions. The pin actuation assembly can include pin actuation units, each having a motor with a rotatable motor shaft and multiple cams mounted on the shaft, each for selectively actuating a respective pin. Each pin actuation unit can also include an angular position sensing system for monitoring, for example magnetically, a passage of the shaft through a reference angular position, and deriving information about a current angular position of the shaft.

A tactile display for dynamically reproducing content from an electronic device, such as a computer, tablet, mobile phone or other device, in a touch-sensory format, such as Braille. The tactile display includes a housing and a plurality of tactile elements. The tactile elements are movable relative to the housing between an extended position for engagement by a user and a retracted position at or inward of a surface of the housing.

A dynamic collaborative communication system uses a dynamic tactile peripheral to identify collaborators for enhancing a community service and contribution platform. Processing circuitry is also configured to receive an activity description file including at least one of an education and learning category, a community service category, and a social research category from a remote device, calculate a social responsibility vector for the activity description file based on social activity parameters, and calculate an assessment vector based on a grade corresponding to an external assessment.

A method for color representation and recognition by blind or visually impaired persons that allows the recognition, differentiation and learning of colors in a tactile way by the blind, visually impaired and by the people who suffer from other affections or intellectual disabilities. There is a color matrix in tactile language for tactile color recognition which consists of 10 points, of which 9 points are arranged on three columns of three points and a point of orientation. The orientation point is located at the top, above the second column and will be ubiquitous for each color or shade. This method implies the using of a punch mark, like the one used to write the Braille Alphabet.

The invention relates to a device for the representation of tactile characters, in particular in Braille, comprising tactile elements which are combined in groups, wherein a tactile character consists in each case of a matrix of tactile points, which can be arranged in two adjacently arranged columns of points and at least two lines of points, wherein the four possible combinations of two tactile points of tactile points arranged adjacently in a line of points are in each case arranged on a common tactile element.

Electronically displayed Braille dots are laterally propagated against a stationary finger resting on a stationary base for reading Braille. The lateral propagation takes the form of a transverse wave of pins which are raised and lowered in sequence. The reading can be synchronized with other processes or events under computer controls. A method of interactive reading is provided whereby the reading of Braille from the display is computer-synchronized with other events and processes to help users learn Braille, to monitor physiological responses to reading, and to enhance a user's reading experience.

A media control device is provided. The media control device includes a first output port and a second output port. The media control device receives a user input indicative of disability information of a user. Further, the media control device controls the first output port to output a first audio portion of media content. The media control device further retrieves a second audio portion which describes a first image portion of the media content based on the received user input. The first image portion is associated with the first audio portion. The media control device further controls the second output port to output the first audio portion and the second audio portion based on the received user input.

A tactile communication tool for transforming a user input command into an audio output signal is provided. The tool presents a user with a housing, a plurality of buttons, a sound processing unit with a speaker, and an overlay set with a plurality of tactually discernable non-Braille characters or tactually discernable non-Braille images embossed upon it. The plurality of tactually discernable non-Braille images characters or tactually discernable non-Braille images can be positioned over the plurality of buttons such that when one of the buttons is pressed by a user, the user input command is processed, and an audio output signal is generated. The tool could also be used for providing input to a computer system. The overlay set could also be a plurality of individual tactile overlay keys.