It’s not something most of us think about on a daily basis, but most watches are basically useless for the visually impaired. Traditionally, the solution to this was to make watches with crystals that could flip up, allowing the wearer to feel the hands. These tended to be poorly made and touching the hands is a really good way to throw a watch off over time. But there are more creative solutions out there. Meet the Dot, a sleek motorized smartwatch that uses braille to give the wearer the time.
Developed in Korea, the Dot is an extremely new product (most of the company’s website is still “coming soon” pages) that offers a new take on telling the time and giving notifications to the visually impaired. Notably, because it uses braille.
In terms of specs, the Dot is pretty impressive. The case is made of aluminum to keep weight down (just 27 grams) and it measures in at 43mm across and 12.5mm thick. So sure, it’s a big watch, but it’s still very much in the realm of wearable. It comes with one of three different sized leather straps that works sort of like a half-NATO, wrapping through on one side. It has a rechargeable battery, a touch sensor, a vibration motor, and Bluetooth, so it’s pretty standard in terms of smartwatch features.
The Dot works in a pretty straightforward manner. Underneath the dial are four motorized modules, each with six possible dots. Each dot can be raised or lowered individually, so the Dot can display up to four braille characters at a time. The wearer then just reads the dial as he or she would a piece of paper with braille on it. The dial is concave to offer a protective rim around the braille modules themselves, making it easier to wear the watch day in and day out.
Opinions of techiesms :
How delightful is this product, now everyone can experience technology. In this era of smart phone and smart watches, even the Visually Impaired are not left out. It just makes the world a better place. A no. of functions are there in the watch which is identical to the regular smart watch. A great round of applause to the team to come forward with such a product and help people. The price is also genuine and nothing else could be argued about as it looks great too. I personally think there should be other cheaper variants also with less functions which are not necessary, so that there is no money constraints and everyone can reap the benefits.
