Voice4Blind: The talking braille keyboard to assist the visual impaired users in text messaging

摘要

Nowaday the mobile cell phone technology growing exponentially and it be a fundamaental element of our modern life style. This technology help users to explore and share their activities through various messaging systems regardless of location and time. Messaging via texting is the essence of mobile communication and connectivity. However, it become increasingly difficult for visually impaired to use Short Message Service (SMS) technology of the limited functionality such as auto checking the texting contents before sent or read the message. This project focusing on system that using an audio as medium for exchanging information between blind user and mobile cell phone devices. This application using the voice haptic architecture model. The system containing a module which adopt with the text-to-speech (TTS) technology that converts text together with speech on the SMS application for helping these visually impaired people. The aim of this research project is to study an innovative solution as an approach to aid and support human independent living (HIL) for visually impaired community. The research defines innovative solution as smart solutions applications which is designed for the visually disabled people. Some interfaces with various numbers of simultaneous sound sources showed great potential in this field but require further evaluations and optimizations. Most of the new methods featuring audio are still not integrated into commercially available products, but have matured and proven to be very useful. We expect these alternatives to have a much stronger impact on future mobile devices, in which auditory interfaces will play an important role. The cost impact for this product is very cost-effective because it is compatible with smartphone and computer available in market today.