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Qualcomm and Project RAY to launch an eye-free mobile device


Guest hecatae

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Guest hecatae

Project RAY's vision is to bridge the digital divide and raise the bar in accessibility for the blind and visually impaired by unleashing the power of modern smartphone technology to foster independence. A single, powerful mobile device that combines all the capabilities of dedicated devices into one, the RAY device is poised to become the new gold standard for the blind and visually impaired.

I'm excited about this, based on an off-the-shelf Android OS smartphone powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon™ processor, the Project RAY device integrates the capabilities of smartphone technology with 24/7 mobile broadband connectivity and a UI designed for eye-free interaction.

A trial project is currently underway that is testing the new system with 100 participants throughout Israel.

Boaz Zilberman, chief executive officer of Project RAY, said:

"The breakthrough UI (User Interface) defines a new language for human-device interaction that is built ground-up for eye-free operation, the user touches any position on the screen and that position becomes the starting point for selecting an audio-book, messaging or other activity. Navigation is enabled by a few simple finger movements in different directions. The phone’s built-in vibration capabilities and voice prompts provide user feedback and the UI learns to adapt its behavior based on users’ preferences and usage patterns.”

According to Qualcomm, the UI supports a rich set of services, including phone calls, text messaging with vocal read-out, navigation, object recognition, social network services, remote assistance, audio-book reading, and other leisure and entertainment offerings.

Here's hoping it's open source, and can be eventually integrated into other devices easily.

Further information is available on Project RAY's website.

[Via: Project RAY]

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oooohhh, like the sound of this. For my work anything that helps accessibility helps my websites content reach a wider audience, will be waiting for for more developments on this.

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