Rare Design Challenge

"BraiLink Mobile is the first smartphone specifically designed for people with vision-related disabilities, mainly for those who also have rare vision-related conditions. It addresses major issues in newer phones relying on screens and hand gestures, which users with disabilities complain about regularly.

     BraiLink redesigns the smartphone by replacing LED screens with rows full of piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducers (pMUTs) which give fingertip tactile feedback, inspired by the article from Nature.com. It also has shape-changing hard-press buttons using Embedded Electroosmotic Pumps, inspired from the prototype at the Future Interfaces Group, a high quality camera with Tesseract OCR built-in to read text aloud, scanning lines of text anywhere, and an attachable braille keyboard for traditional Braille users. All of the physical inputs are clearly labeled using Braille.

     It supports multiple input modes, including BrailleType-style physical touch, physical braille keys, and voice commands. This gives users flexibility and independence. This device has both young and older individuals in mind, as they can speak to the device instead of using Braille, completely eliminating the need to use hands if necessary.

     All of this is possible within a $500 budget, proving that assistive technology can be innovative and affordable. This isn’t just another accessory for your normal smartphone — it’s built from the ground up with the user in mind."

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"Individuals with visual impairments frequently face challenges using touchscreen smartphones, particularly if they have additional disabilities or extreme medical conditions. Research shows that they want easier-to-use, tactile solutions."

"My innovation is an AI-powered Smart Mirror intended to change the shopping experience, focusing on individuals who became blind later in life. Although current aids for blind purchasers are present nowadays, they still greatly rely on whether or not there is a guide nearby who is adequately sighted to support clothing selection and style commentary. Such dependence can be limiting in terms of autonomy and privacy, making what should be na enjoyable activity a chore and at times an unfeasible endeavour. The Smart Mirror bridges the gap by providing blind individuals the ability to shop freely and independently without losing their own personal style.

The Smart Mirror benefits people with disabilities, starting with those who are blind or partially blind but retaining a visual memory from before vision loss. These individuals are still going to think about colour, pattern and style and they want to feel good. But the fear of attempting to select suitable clothes themselve, especially in physical retail spaces, is high. This technology can also be utilized for individuals with some level of mobility disabilities who wish to try on garments but not the physical effort involved in conventional shopping.

Fashion is significant because it is associated with self-presentation, identity, and confidence. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, it is estimated that 1.1 billion people worldwide were visually impaired in the year 2020 and the number keeps increasing. But even in-person and online clothing shops are still designed for sighted customers. The blind consumers should also have the opportunity to be involved in fashion, dress for a special occasion and convey personality in what they wear. The Smart Mirror enables them to make the choice on their own terms, without being subject to others' judgment or liberties. How the Smart Mirror accomplishes this is through the integration of AI, ML, 3D body scan and voice interaction.

It begins by using precise foot and body measurements to create a precise digital replica of the wearer. The system will then communicate with the wearer through speech to give feedback regarding the person's colour tones, sense of style and personality. Using this information, the AI browses worldwide fashion sources such as Paris Fashion Week and leading publications such as Vogue to identify which pieces of clothing suits the user. The Smart Mirror then shows the user what to wear to an event with short verbal explanations such as described video used in television and movies so the user can have a clear mental picture of each. It also stocks such products in other retail stores, sorting them according to price category, eco-friendliness and accessibility services. In the case of alteration, even the mirror can connect the customer to local tailors or seamstresses. With integration of cutting-edge AI technology and design informed by accessibility, the Smart Mirror enables visually impaired shoppers to shop independently and easily. It secures personal style as an individual choice they can make...that independence, dignity and inclusion can flourish in a shopping space long neglected by their needs."

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"The design of the Smart Mirror is rooted in the lived experiences, insights and preferences of the blind. For this project, while conducting research, I looked at interviews with the blind and visually impaired persons in trying not to only have an idea of the functional constraints they face while shopping, but also of the social and emotional factors that impact their fashion sense. Some argue that blindness does not equate to a lack of interest in appearance, like the Rick Hansen Foundation's Rachel Finlay. Her observations note that most blind people still care about how they look and present themselves, but need help with details that they cannot perceive themselves, such as checking for dog hairs on a coat or picking an appropriate lip colour.

I also learned from blind author Elin Williams, who shared her advice for shopping online and off. She also stated that there needs to be product description and good guidance in buying clothes. Her experience was an affirmation that shopping accessibility is not merely the ability of movement within a store, but being able to access the right kind of information, texture, colour and outfit information, that allows an individual to visualize the clothes in his or her mind. This impacted Smart Mirror's detailed text description feature, which utilizes descriptive guides to allow the users to imagine each of the products.

It was with regard to such interactions and experiences that the choice was made to give precedence to those who became blind later in life. They have unique needs as they preserve visual memories and understanding of colour and beauty, upon which the AI can rely to suggest more personal recommendations. It was their comment as well that defined the tone of the Smart Mirror's dialogue, to talk naturally and respectfully and only to advise and not to command.

By taking the voices of those with disabilities to the forefront of decision-making, the Smart Mirror avoids a one-size-fits-all approach and instead provides an empowering solution. Rather than merely mirroring the functional needs of blind customers, it also recognizes their sense of dignity, confidence and self-expression valued by them in their day-to-day life."

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