BrailleTouch

By billip, 19 February, 2012

Forum
iOS and iPadOS
Students and teachers at Georgia Tech University have apparently created an app that will allow users to type Braille with an iOS device facing away from them. Here is a link to the You Tube demo... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIEO1bUFHsI And here is a link to volunteer to be a tester of the software... http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~mromero/brailletouch/ I can't wait!

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By billip on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 04:52

It's time for a new campaign! Alright people, here's the news... I spoke with the Principal Investigator for the Braille Touch software just now, Mario Romero. They currently have both an iOS and Android version of the software. However, they are still working on packaging for an app that will be released sometime in the coming months. He said it will hopefully be before their original release date of Fall. What they need now is a programmer that can code an app for iOS that will be easily downloadable and usable by all users, sighted or not. Here is the big thing... this app will NOT enable you to use the Braille Touch software as an iOS keyboard. This app will only teach users to type the Braille Grade 1 alphabet. So... What we need to do is to contact [email protected] to get them to adopt and flesh out the Braille Touch keyboard for use in iOS. I envision this would be most easily chosen through the two finger rotor motion when you are in an edit field. For example, if you enter a text field and the keyboard is on screen, you could simply rotate with two fingers to choose "Braille Touch" and then type in your text. If you leave the keyboard mode at "Braille Touch", the next time you enter a text field you could use the Braille Touch method or switch back to the regular keyboard with a two finger rotor motion if you desired. Come on, this just makes too much sense for Apple not to listen. The other reason that Apple can't say no is that it is free! The good people that developed the software don't want a dime for the right to incorporate their work into iOS. They do not, however, want Apple to do what it is so famous for doing these days and sue another touch device manufacturer for using their intellectual property. This software is offered to all device makers as a great solution to give the visually impaired community. Who knows, it may change the way all people interact with touch screen mobile devices. Who would want to peck around on a tiny virtual keyboard when you can touch type? So... email [email protected] and let them know you want this feature included in iOS 5.1. Okay just a joke, as 5.1 will probably be released in the next few weeks. By iOS 6, though, Apple has no excuse as to why they wouldn't incorporate something that has already been created and offered at their doorstep. If you are an iOS or Android developer, contact [email protected] to help them get this joker available to the masses.

By Maria on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 - 04:52

HI. even if they made an app where you could write text using the touch braille method and then could copy and paste the text wherever you wanted, that would be pretty cool. I got the impression that was what they were aiming for in developing this app?

By Andira Pramatyasari on Monday, January 7, 2013 - 04:52

I totally agree with Billip. It would be very great if we can use braille touch as one of the keyboard mode on iOS devices. So, we can type directly (without copy the text from braille touch app) in every text field.
We would love to have BrailleTouch available as an alternative keyboard for iOS. Unfortunately, Apple will not allow third party developers to build replacement keyboard apps. This is why BrailleTouch, like Fleksy, TypeInBraille, and other apps, uses copy and paste to get the text out of our alternative keyboard and into other apps. Here is the main discussion thread on BrailleTouch: http://www.applevis.com/applevis-forum/ios-ios-app-discussion/introducing-brailletouch-iphone-app-typing-braille-your Caleb http://brailletouchapp.com/