Silicone Touch: an iPhone case for the visually impaired

The iPhone has never seemed a likely contender as a smart phone for the blind (it's certainly not designed for touch typing), which makes this case by designer Bruno Fosi all the more impressive. The Silicone Touch covers the phone's screen and features a selection of bas-relief buttons that correspond to menu items in a custom app, allowing those with diminished sight access to all the phone's functions, including multi-touch and finger flick scrolling. Right now it's just a concept, but we're hoping to see this one become a reality sooner rather than later.

[Via Yanko Design]

[OCEAN 'CLAK' 20th @ Dec 1st 2008 5:01PM]

'i' like it, i see a dream come true

[happy_penguin @ Dec 1st 2008 5:02PM]

This doesn't make any sense at all. As much as I love my iPhone, I certainly would never recommend it to a visually impaired person. Even with this case the iPhone could not be anywhere near as useful as a phone with real keys on it for a visually impaired person. Why have visual internet and video capability for the visually impaired?

[Sean @ Dec 1st 2008 5:13PM]

Put yourself in the situation. Blind people are people just like you and me and may want the same things that we have. I think think this is a great idea personally, especially if voice apps are going to be capable possibly in the future on the iphone.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 1st 2008 6:27PM]

The iphone is the absolute worst possible type of device for a Blind person to even consider using.

Its a FLAT SCREEN. It has NO TACTILE FEEDBACK. Its screen does not correspond to the braille pad unless you make that custom app, AND THEN WHAT? after you leave the main screen and move to a sub menu, you'd need an entirely new braille pad for it - and every subsequent screen.

do this: close your eyes and try dialing a phone number on your phone ...any number.

The only way I see blind people having access to the mobile internet is if science designed a full pad with little magnetically extended pins that could be controlled by a cpu to constantly change based on what is on screen. In fact, there would be no monitor at all...just the pin pad.

http://www.joelertola.com/tutorials/disp/pin_toy.jpg

If i could build it, I'd be a billionaire.

[derX @ Dec 1st 2008 8:30PM]

I'm not trying to personally attack you, Sean, at all, but you response seems a little naive. I am COMPLETELY for adapting devices for uses by the handicapped but the iPhone is largely a visual experience--hell, it's marketed as the US' first device with Visual Voicemail. I'm certainly not deprive any portion of the population to its little piece of happy, but like Flashpoint said, this is the last device I'd recommend to the visually impaired.

[Sean @ Dec 1st 2008 10:03PM]

@derX. You're right man, i read the comment completely wrong and skipped over the word recommend.

[Mako @ Dec 1st 2008 5:02PM]

It's spelled silicone.

[Nomi @ Dec 1st 2008 5:33PM]

They still didn't change the page header.

[waiownsyou @ Dec 1st 2008 5:03PM]

Why? There are much simpler phones for this task. It's like trying to get a blind person on the highway. This is an irony case for the blind.

[Metkis @ Dec 1st 2008 5:03PM]

Why? The iPhone seems as though it would function about as much for the blind as an iPod for the deaf?

[Sachin @ Dec 1st 2008 5:10PM]

"dude, i called you like 15 times last night, why didn't you pick up?"

"What? I can't hear you..."

[Sean @ Dec 1st 2008 5:15PM]

@Sachin
what was the point of that?

[John @ Dec 1st 2008 5:47PM]

Plenty of deaf people have iPods. They even have connectors that go from the iPod directly to cochlear implants.

[Metkis @ Dec 1st 2008 6:22PM]

I just think it's funny it has a hole for the camera. Kinda mocking the user.

[Lowest Ranked @ Dec 1st 2008 8:37PM]

Visually impaired doesn't mean 100% blind.

[bhtooefr @ Dec 1st 2008 5:04PM]

So, in other words, they just made the world's most expensive dumbphone?

[Mako @ Dec 1st 2008 5:05PM]

This is a phone for the blind, not those who cant talk.

[robbase @ Dec 1st 2008 5:10PM]

exactly.. you would have no use for any feature other than talking. So, it's become the most expensive dumbphone.

[Jagster @ Dec 1st 2008 5:04PM]

Why would a blind person buy an iPhone? It seems like a regular clamshell phone would be much more practical for the visually impaired.

[dandaman @ Dec 1st 2008 5:13PM]

a clamshell, but just looking at the phones at any verizon store, touch screen phones are the way the market is going - arguably sparked by Apple. And between all the touchphones out there, why not get the best*? Bravo on the concept!

*Except for android

[BlurMagic @ Dec 1st 2008 5:33PM]

Ah dandaman. do realize you said, "just looking" at all the other phones on the market... See, blind people can't look. They can feel. But while the iPhone im sure feels great... it really is pointless to have a touch screen. Im thinking a voice recognititon application would be more practical in many ways.

[mediumsizedrob @ Dec 1st 2008 5:08PM]

Why is this such a big deal exactly? The iPhone isn't really the second coming, it's not needed for a fulfilling life. I can't see why a blind person would want an iPhone over something that's designed for the blind. It's not like they'll be using the lighter app or playing the caveman racing game or anything that would require an iPhone. They also can't see the clever commercials that make people think they need one.

[Gad Get @ Dec 1st 2008 5:37PM]

What clever commercials? I only remember seeing those extremely misleading "really fast!" commercials.

[Jamma @ Dec 1st 2008 6:17PM]

@ Gad Get- Not a problem anymore, at least not in the UK :)

[BigD145 @ Dec 1st 2008 7:48PM]

Commercials? What are those? Oh, you must have one of those fancy tee vee's that lets you sit on your butt and not do anything but still costs money to run. Gotcha. I'm going to go take a nap outside now.

[Konstantin @ Dec 1st 2008 5:09PM]

Hmm, I see what they did here. But does the custom app have Flash support for video? I can already see that it supports the camera feature which is something that no visually impaired person should be without. Apologies to any any visually impaired people who are reading this.

[Sachin @ Dec 1st 2008 5:09PM]

"hey, look! i got this case for my iPhone that's specially made for the visually impaired!"

"um, dude...that's not an iPhone..."

[Jeremy K. @ Dec 1st 2008 5:11PM]

I normally like Engadget a lot, but this blog post is rather poorly written. Also, this is a really silly concept.

[grobinso @ Dec 1st 2008 5:19PM]

This could work well in conjunction with speech output. It's not inconceivable that voiceover (built in osx screen reader) for the iphone is possible. In fact a similar product for Windows mobile already exists along the same lines.

http://www.engadget.com/2004/07/01/the-maestro-visuaides-pocket-pc-for-the-blind/

[xiln @ Dec 1st 2008 5:15PM]

How did this escape mockery? Oh! Let me guess...

[anon @ Dec 1st 2008 5:20PM]

I think this could be a phenomenal idea, provided that it can be implemented properly. Hey, no one needs an iPhone, visually impaired or not. Some people choose iPhones because they want them for whatever reason. If such a simple concept can bring that choice to the visually impaired, who more often than not seem to be forgotten in computing, then that's great. What's the problem here?

[Sirius @ Dec 1st 2008 5:20PM]

And this whole product depends on Apple allowing the specially designed app onto the appstore in the first place...

[jercb123 @ Dec 1st 2008 6:49PM]

i was saying the same thing. but it does copy the menu function in the phones OS so i guess it would get denied

[Lionbacker @ Dec 1st 2008 5:25PM]

Yeah...
You're pretty much a "Downvote on sight" for me...
Weren't you banned a while back?

[Oli D @ Dec 1st 2008 5:26PM]

I can't see anything innovative about this.


Get it?

[greatsunjester @ Dec 1st 2008 5:28PM]

I can see the use (part of my job!). A full touch screen can be mapped to a specific control layout corresponding to the tactile sleeve. Only those button areas function. The layout can be tested, tweaked and finalized, then the sleeves produced. Even replaced as the layout improves or other applications are adjusted for. Other cell phones have only the keys they are shipped with, limiting the control customization.

[Samboini @ Dec 1st 2008 6:14PM]

So why not just get a phone with dedicated keys and skip the touch element...

[Jeff R @ Dec 1st 2008 5:32PM]

Capacitive touch + silicone overlay?

[Ashwin @ Dec 1st 2008 6:11PM]

You are completely right. It would have to be of a conductive material, at least where it touches the screen.

[ziggy @ Dec 1st 2008 8:38PM]

It'll still work if it's thin enough, how else do those silicone sleeves for the iPods work on the click wheels?

This whole concept is ridiculous to begin with.

[Chris @ Dec 1st 2008 5:33PM]

"...but we're hoping to see this one become a reality sooner rather than later."

That's just cruel.

[ryeguy_24 @ Dec 1st 2008 5:36PM]

Why can't it have audio-feedback? Sounds like a pretty rad idea to me. People can be quite creative when coming up with apps. I think this is a first step, but a great idea.

[triela @ Dec 1st 2008 6:00PM]

This is much more intriguing. Replacing the icon-based UI with just an empty (or visually interactive) screen that responds with an array or gradient of different audio cues depending on where you drag your finger would be novel at the very least, and possibly a great new feature.

Moving your finger around triggers spoken cues (e.g. "Phone"), touch-release executes?

This could also remove the inferred limitation to a blind customer base.

[Dale @ Dec 1st 2008 5:49PM]

Only those with slim, muscular bodies, blonde hair, blue eyes and a passion for pop music are allowed to use anything with the Apple logo on it. Sorry, if you're blind, it means no "eye"Phone for you.

[Samboini @ Dec 1st 2008 6:15PM]

Wanker.

[Dale @ Dec 1st 2008 6:19PM]

*nods* in agreement*

[dale1v @ Dec 1st 2008 6:21PM]

oh **** sam you were being serious! Well I was being *sarcastic*, sorry that i confused you.

[Da Ereeser @ Dec 1st 2008 5:50PM]

This doesn't even make sense in concept. Since the iPhone reacts to TOUCH rather than pressure, wouldn't the visually impaired person actually be ACTIVATING stuff as they were feeling their way around the screen searching for something?

[Juliana Peña @ Dec 1st 2008 5:59PM]

Just get a Symbian phone with Talks, a screen reader for S60 phones. My dad is visually impaired and loves his Nokia N95. He can browse the web, listen to music, use the PDA functions, and, obviously, use the phone, because the software tells him what is on the screen.

[pikkoz @ Dec 1st 2008 6:06PM]

I have a parents that is visually impaired, yeah "blind" as you can mock about.

Even if i feel delighted whenever people try to make visual impaired people life easyer i'm very perplexed about this.

What's the pourpose of a fixed relief silicon layer over a non-responsive touchscreen that may display anything? i mean, it's not like icons, functions and menus are fixed on the iphone , the author and apple should work together to make a "visual impaired mode" (which i seriously doubt)similar that the one on OSX with voice over and larger standard and fixed icons , otherwise i don't see the point of this case.

And another thing is the waste of money , what's the point to buy a pricey iphone that rely much on our view to display anything when the key point that a visually impaired people need most is a cellphone that tell him everything is on screen to make him able to write an "listen" an e-mail/sms and make a call (much more easier and faster on a cellphone with keys,and it's obvious why). For example where i live our carrier TIM offers freely tim talks a symbian application that enable a "text-to-speech" experience on s60 symbian OS.

Sure, thare are better cellphone in this sense i was told there is a customized cellphone (basically a nokia smartphone)that other than that it can also read text from photo shoots, vocal and gps guidance with feedback in and from a special walking stick but just the cellphone costs 2000€