Braille Blocks Is Now More Accommodating than Ever with App Integration

Braille blocks was invented in Japan before spreading across the world. It is called tenji blocks in Japanese, because it was inspired by Braille writing (“tenji” in Japanese). This invention plays a crucial role to help people with visual impairments when walking around. In recent years, many new technological developments and initiatives have been carried out to make braille blocks even more safe, secure, easy to use, and convenient. These efforts have allowed the paving to be integrated with multiple apps, in addition to the bumps on the surface that can be identified through physical touch. Image processing technologies using smartphones have evolved at a particularly rapid pace recently, and so engineers are carrying out projects to include data on braille blocks through visual means, which can be interpreted by technology to give detailed information through voice. This article looks at three examples of systems developed in Japan using braille blocks with encoded information.

So What Is Braille Blocks?

Braille blocks is the name for plates with bumps on their surface to help people with blindness or reduced visual ability (low vision) move safely and comfortably. These plates are placed on paths and flooring, and the bumps on the plates can be identified by feel with the soles of your feet, with a white cane, or by looking at them.There are multiple types of braille blocks. For example, induction blocks indicate the direction for people to move, and warning blocks indicate hazardous areas or facilities that require assistance to navigate. In general, this paving is made in a bright color such as yellow, that is highly distinct from the colors around it.
Braille blocks was originally invented by Japanese engineer Seiichi Miyake in 1965, and it was installed for the first time in the world in 1967 within Okayama, Japan. The developer of this technology has been praised in Japan and around the world for his achievements.

In 2012, an international standard for braille blocks was established on the basis of the specifications given in JIS (Japanese Industrial Standards) from Japan. This standard has currently spread to many countries across the globe. A large quantity of braille blocks was placed within Tokyo for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, which sparked buzz among visitors.

Many Braille Blocks Apps Are Being Developed in Rapid Succession

A wide range of initiatives are being carried out in Japan to realize an inclusive society in which anybody can live comfortably regardless of their age, gender, or disability. Even when just looking at the field of braille blocks, there are many apps being implemented in rapid succession to give highly detailed information that guides people with visual impairments and helps them move with greater safety and peace of mind. One college in Kanazawa, Japan has developed a multilingual app that gives voice guidance based on coded braille blocks. The development team was joined by people with visual impairments, too. With this system, the smartphone app uses AI image recognition technology to read braille blocks with marks on it, and then provides voice guidance about the names and directions of local facilities, thereby providing robust support to people who cannot see well while they walk. The team is making progress on further improvements, such as to add an evacuation mode to the app for use during disasters. Also, in addition to assisting people with visual impairments, the app can provide route directions and other kinds of information to citizens, tourists, and people visiting Japan from abroad.

Another braille blocks app developed by a Japanese company aims to build a system in which people with visual impairments can easily go from their own home to the station closest to their destination, even when traveling alone. This app utilizes QR codes, a type of technology that originated in Japan and has now spread among many countries for general use. If you walk while holding your smartphone in front of you, this app will automatically read the QR codes and give you voice guidance, such as “Ticket gates ahead. Go straight for 6 feet,” letting you walk safely to your destination. Train stations that have implemented these QR codes publicize this initiative through posters.

People with visual impairments cannot identify directions or the structure of buildings without auditory information. They can walk with the guidance of braille blocks, but reaching their final destination requires either memorizing the entire route or asking another person for help. Based on the experience of people who have lost their sight and use a white cane to walk every day, one organization has developed coded blocks with large braille-like markings that can be detected using a smartphone while moving and without the need to stand still. With this system, eight black metal rings are placed on the round bumps of warning blocks, with multiple arrangements that correspond to different locations. The app recognizes the arrangements of rings, and then gives voice guidance about the user’s current location and the things that are to all four sides of them as they walk. When the app is open, the smartphone vibrates at regular intervals, and it makes an announcement as soon as it identifies any black marks. This app has a focus on being easy to control for people with visual impairments, but it has not been commercialized yet. However, it was well received among people with visual impairments who tried it at a hands-on session. This image coding method was invented by a man with a visual impairment who worked at a precision equipment manufacturer, in collaboration with his former colleague. He utilized his experience at this manufacturer in many areas of the development process, such as in efforts to ensure that the rings would be reliably detected, and that they would not cause errors by being worn away after extended use.

In this way, a wide range of people in Japan are doing development work together to make braille blocks even more convenient, with an ultimate goal to realize an inclusive society.