When a significant proportion of the population will already be covered by mobile phone, the phone manufacturers will inevitably draw attention to new market segments. This Samsung Touch Messenger is a product designed by Samsung Design China based in Shanghai , China , a country with about 9 million visually impaired people.
The 3×4 button on the cell phone is used as two Braille keypads and text messages can be checked through the Braille display screen in the lower part. The Braille system itself was developed by Louis Braille when he was 12 years old in 1821. Every Braille character is composed by using six dot positions.
Samsung Touch Messenger won the Gold Award at IDEA (Industrial Design Excellence Awards) in 2006. Once this product is commercialized, it is expected to dramatically boost the quality of life for visually impaired people, numbering as many as 180 million worldwide.
Source link: Samsung, Coolest Gadgets
