A compact, sensor-enabled device developed in Visakhapatnam could soon change the way visually impaired students across India learn Braille.

The Braille Learning Assistant, designed by Assistant Professor Mohammed Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti of the Gandhi Institute of Technology (GITAM), promises to make Braille education simpler, faster and far more independent.

The device uses a 3×2 Braille pattern with sensor-based inputs that detect the placement and instantly provide audio feedback, reading out the pattern to help learners understand and correct themselves.

According to Assistant Professor Mohammed Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti of the Gandhi Institute of Technology (GITAM), “This device is a Braille Learning Assistant. Generally, blind students have to sit with a teacher to learn Braille, and the teacher has to spend a lot of time with them. But this problem is simplified with my device. I have a 3×2 pattern ready, in which you just have to place the ball. The ball is designed in such a way that even if it falls, it won’t go too far from the student, so they can easily pick it up. The student just has to press the button, and the device will read the pattern out loud.”

Chishti says, the device is built for self-paced learning, as it reduces dependence on instructors.

He further adds “This helps students who are at home and do not live near cities where blind schools are available. Parents can buy this device for their children, and they themselves can act as teachers, helping the child learn easily. It takes hardly a month or less to learn Braille using this device.”

Chishti hopes the gadget will soon be available to visually impaired students nationwide.