Designer Jonathan Lucas has designed a unique concept device that will enable visually impaired users feel everything on their computer screen. The device, Saifu, uses a unique material called Magneclay that turn the computer’s display into a Braille display or even a morphing relief of pictures. The revolutionary material, magneclay is an oil-based material with a loose molecular structure which, when acted upon by an electrical charge, can change its shape and hold the new shape indefinitely as long as the electrical charge is applied. The Saifu (named after a blind African ant) is a unique device that can be used as a nine-key Braille keyboard with Braille readout, or it can be used like a book, displaying words in Braille. It can also render images on web pages in three dimensions, letting users feel what’s on their screen. The unique Magneclay material along with the image conversion technology makes this possible.

What is more, the Saifu can also read aloud the words on screen if the user wishes so. The machine is also equipped with voice recognition software that translates words spoken by the users into typed words. This unique device featuring the amazing magneclay material will definitely benefit visually impaired people everywhere.

[Gajitz]