Hemal Dias

36 million people worldwide are registered as blind.

Currently, screen readers are the primary method by which blind people communicate with digital devices such as smartphones and PCs. Unfortunately, this is only effective for text. It is extremely difficult to convey visual information through sound, especially in video games as they are fast-paced and interactive. 

An initial interview with a blind gamer called Yukio revealed that he had never had the opportunity to play a game like Tetris. A sighted player can quickly understand the geometry of the falling piece and then orientate the piece to fit which would be difficult to do through sound. I wanted to make this a possibility.

While technology exists to communicate graphical information to blind people through touch, it is either unsuitable or inaccessible for gaming. 

Refreshable braille displays, for instance, feature a massive array of pins that digitally move up and down to form 3D images which people can intuitively feel. These however cost tens of thousands of pounds while being large and heavy.

Other criticisms include that the technologies have utilitarian applications such as navigation or education. Not enough attention has been given to recreational activities such as gaming. These devices are also unappealing and embarrassing to blind people as it brands them as having a disability. Blind people would ideally want to use the same hardware as everybody else.

In the first experiment, simple Tetris shapes were cut from cardboard and stuck on a surface. Blindfolded people quickly identified the shapes by running their fingers over the surface. Consequent experiments aimed to digitalise this experience.

The second experiment featured a 4x3 capacitive touch grid which would vibrate when certain points were touched. 12 points were however insufficient to communicate simple shapes. 

The third experiment solved this by making the resolution virtually infinite. The user’s finger would vibrate anywhere within the shape.  The sensation was however the same regardless of whether you were at the edge of the shape, the corner or inside which significantly slowed down shape identification.

The final prototype sits on the wrist and connects to an Android tablet through Bluetooth. When the user plays a specially programmed game, the prototype gives tactile feedback through its 4 motors.

Depending on which motors are being actuated, the user can differentiate between corners, edges and the direction the edge is going in. This allows blind people to quickly identify on-screen geometry.

The motors provide a soft sensation similar to being tapped on the wrist.

HAPT costs under £50, is discrete and uses existing smart devices which reduces embarrassment for the user while allowing game developers to continue using a familiar platform. It enables a totally new genre of games for blind people. 

Beyond gaming, HAPT could be the hearing aid of the blind world. For instance, it could automatically connect to large touch-screens such as shopping mall maps, allowing blind people to understand spatial information such as the positions of shops.