Google develops talking cellphones for eyes-free communication
Mobile phones are major contributors to accidents on roads. Often people get entangled with their phones tapping and playing with them, which diverts attention and accidents follow. Soon perhaps this misfortune, created by our own negligence, could find a solution in the audio and tactile feedback interface being developed by engineers at Google. The interface being developed for the Android-powered phones would allow eyes-free navigation, meaning no visual attention would be required by the phones when the user’s using it.
A scientist at Google, T.V. Raman, demonstrated the circular interface that’s beyond screens, a great eyes-free interface that lets the blind use cellphones too. But Raman (blind himself) believes the interface to have broader implications and use in situations where the user wants to use the phone without looking at it.
The demonstrations have been conducted to display the interface being used for dialing numbers and for scrolling through the phonebook. For dialing, the first touch strikes on the number "5" and when the touch is shifted to either angles the number appear as same on a normal keypad, when the touch indicates a dial, the phone vibrates and voice repeats the number. To scroll through the phonebook, it’s as easy as three steps to access any letter on a touch. Check out the video for a clearer view of the interface and its usage.
Via: TechnologyReview
