scott alberstein
Industrial + Interaction Designer
Mobi is a system that allows the blind to navigate familiar & unfamiliar environments more independently using a new technology called Tesla Touch
Mobi provides the blind with tactile
information about where they are, where they were, and where they’re going using Tesla Touch technology.
By giving the blind a tactile map to reference as they travel they can begin to develop their own mental model of the greater environment around them.
Skills: Ethnographic & Academic Research, 3D Modeling, Model Making & Prototyping, Interaction Design
“Blindness isn’t about fear of the dark, vulnerability, or suffering. It is definitely not about what we can’t do, or wish we could do. Blindness is about adaptation and resourcefulness, about effective, purposeful, dignified, self-directed living in the dark, about achievement through perseverance. Blindness is about the joy, freedom, and beauty of making our own choices by exercising our own sound judgments and capabilities. It is about the gratification of embracing the world and making the unknown known.” - Daniel Kish
Based on my research with Joe and Katherine, I broke down the blind wayfinding process into two broad categories. During an interview, Joe mentioned a desire to take safer routes with less traffic while walking outside. He also expressed his inability to identify where he was on a larger scale, or what landmarks were around him.
I found information regarding the type of assistance most blind people rely on during travel. Joe and Katherine mentioned they traveled often and typically brought a cane. They mentioned their success using an iPhone, which would speak to them, but spoke about the lack of tactility in a touch screen device.
Tesla Touch is a brand new technology straight from the Disney Research Team. It allows users to feel the textures of images through electrovibration. “The proposed technique exploits the principle of electrovibration, which allows us to create a broad range of tactile sensations by controlling electrostatic friction between an instrumented touch surface and the user’s fingers.”
Concept mapping has been a great way for me to break down complex systems in a way that is informative to my design process. Laying out a road map helps me stay on track as I progress, making sure I don’t forget anything and that I can work through the project holistically.
I wanted Mobi to be a sort of travel companion. A small form that could fit in your pocket or possibly wear around your neck. The most challenging aspect was trying to figure out the experience of interacting with Mobi. I felt talking to it like you would another person would be the ideal way for the blind to interface with this technology.
Mobi provides a unique experience for the blind during unassisted travel. By translating map data into a tactile surface, the blind can better understand their greater surroundings and begin to self-navigate. Different textures denote different landmarks. The user can ask Mobi to guide them to a destination, through a building, or answer questions or respond to commands such as: “what is this building?” Or, “guide me home.”
