Watch project for the blind

[kawadas]

I want to give you all a brief overview of a project i am currently undertaking, which is a pocket watch for people who suffer from blindness.

The watch doesn't use use braille. Instead it uses a cam/ motor driven system, which allows the users to feel the time through pulses, which brush the users finger tips to give the time in the standard of a 24hr clock.

A few pics might demonstate what i mean. I would like to know peoples opinion and the more the question the better.

 

[duke37]

Have you contacted the RNIB for advice?

My thought is that you would need a lot of power. Could the pulses be activated by turning the rim?

Most of the blind people that I have had contact with were quite elderly and a big display would help with poor hand coordination.

All power to your elbow.

 

[jackorocko]

so how are these pulses generated? Is there like a way to active the sequence? How will the user tell the difference between a stop and start of a sequence of pulses? I guess what I am having a hard time understanding is how the user will feel all four of the pulses at the same time and manage to keep track of them.

 

[twister]

Why reinvent the wheel? They already have watches and cellphones that speak the time.

 

[War_Spigot]

Why reinvent the wheel? They already have watches and cellphones that speak the time.

What if they want to check the time in, for example,a church or a library?

I think one with a small pager vibrator motor would be simple and easy(er)

 

[jackorocko]

What if they want to check the time in, for example,a church or a library?

Church? it always gets over the same time. Not sure why you would want to check the time. I am sure a library would make an exception for a blind person. Not sure what a blind person would do in a library, but ok.

 

[War_Spigot]

Church? it always gets over the same time. Not sure why you would want to check the time. I am sure a library would make an exception for a blind person. Not sure what a blind person would do in a library, but ok.

True, true. Maybe you want to see how long until it's over? Even not being blind, I think a watch that vibrates would still be kind of cool. Would work in all lighting conditions and would use less power(maybe? I'm not sure how much power those small watch LCD's use), it would take longer to read, though. Now, where to buy a vibration motor...

 

[kawadas]

Thanks to all for the responses, they are very constructive in taking this project forward.

There are a couple of things i want to mention:

- The watch is powered by two 3.6 v li-ion cell batteries which are rechargeable
- The recharging takes place on a base, which also acts as an alarm clock
- The pulses are all felt through a time delay, so its one after the other Hrs,Hrs,M.,M..
- RNIB stats say that 2/3 of blind in the uk (which is my market) are women
- RNIB also say the 1/5 of blind are over 75 years of age
- Blindness is also being linked to diets etc.

There are a couple of pics which may illustrate the watch use better. i'll upload them

 

[kawadas]

The Mechanism inside the watch is going to change from what I have illustrated above. I am moving towards, disks? maybe simpler, which could tell the time.

But the watch operation needs to be mechanical, I'll let you guys know when I come up with something. I am open to any suggestions.