Image description: Photo of two participants watching a video on a 60-inch large screen TV while listening to the juxtaposition of sounds using the SubPac, which interprets sound into a tactile experience.
Technology is a great tool to assist and improve the wellbeing of many of our users and audience
Find below a list of some products we have used and companies we currently work with.
LixPen UV
LixPen is the smallest circular 3D pen in the world. If you are stepping into your profession in a ground-breaking way, then this small and smart 3D printing pen will help you add that spark to your work. It can be a perfect tool for stylists, architects, designers and anybody interested in 3D printing.
LIX has now introduced an upgrade, the LIX PEN UV, which is faster, stronger, and smarter than the previous model. The internal structure and components have been updated and restructured to be more durable, allowing for a wider range of filaments to be used such as translucent, fluorescent, metal and wood-based plastic filament. They are available in black, silver and gold.
LIX offers enhanced features that explore new dimensions. In our time using this device, we are confident it will allow many visually impaired creative practitioners to create new design iterations, sparking new ideas, possibilities and capabilities.
From the sustainable aluminium body to the elegant technological core, every detail in LIX combines beautiful engineering and meticulous craft.
Contact: info@lixpen.com
Website: Lix Pen
Copyright © 2014 – 2018 Lix Pen Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Talking Tactile Pen
Talking Tactile Pen brings technology that combines visual and tactile material of high quality with a “smart pen” to provide more information in an audio format.
Touch Graphics Europe is engaged in the design, manufacture and distribution of the multisensory format to facilitate the interpretation of an element or space to visually impaired people.
Using principles of universal design, their products can be used by a large number of users with or without disabilities.
A multimodal communication can be used for various tools from a map by nature to an art book, through to such diverse services as a guide tube or planes of a public building.
The Talking Tactile Pen is developed and distributed by Touch Graphics Europe.
Contact: Sol Street number 55, 08201 Sabadell. Barcelona, Spain
Website: Touch Graphics Europe
UltraCane
The original concept for the UltraCane was developed at a leading UK university, with the developers adamant that visually impaired people were to be involved at every stage of the development process.
A team of 20 visually impaired volunteers came to help and provide input and in 2011, Sound Foresight Technology Ltd, a company based in Yorkshire, took over the development and evolution of the UltraCane.
This take over brought improvement both in its performance and ruggedness whilst keeping the innovative design concept and intuitive operation.
This much improved UltraCane is now available worldwide.
Contact: 40 Freemans Way, Harrogate, HG3 1DH, United Kingdom
Website: UltraCane
SubPac
SubPac is sound you can feel. A revolutionary audio technology company, SubPac is bringing the feeling of music and sound to the world.
A new category of audio hardware, SubPac’s high fidelity Physical-Sound® technology profoundly enhances the traditional media experience by allowing users to actually FEEL sound throughout their body.
SubPac is used by sound designers, music producers, VR and gaming developers and other professionals looking to add an extra layer of visceral impact and immersion to the art forms that inspire them.
Contact: Diane@subpac.com
The Rattle @ Tobacco Dock, Wapping Lane, London, E1W 2SF, UK
Website: SubPac
Lumo
Lumo is a small hand-held device that reads the surface of a page and translates graphical data into tactile and sound feedback in real-time. It can be used in tandem with a pen to allow the user to make drawings.
Lumo enables blind and visually impaired people to read shapes, graphs, diagrams and colours directly from the paper, a textbook or a sketchbook and enables them to draw in colour. Lumo reads the surface of the page and translates colours into sound and black lines into tactile feedback.
On our live test during this tour, we found that it was particularly useful for visually impaired people, especially those with no colour or light reference.
Contact: Exhibition Road, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
Please Note: The LUMO website is currently unavailable. Contact us directly via email for more information about this research and development project.
ZOOMAX
Zoomax is a developer and manufacturer of technology dedicated to creating independence for people with vision impairments.
They offer a full range of low vision products.
Established in 2011, Zoomax is committed to developing assistive technology for people with vision impairments. Today, with a full line of low vision products including handheld, portable and desktop video magnifiers, Zoomax worldwide sales and service network have covered 60 countries.
Technology is changing people’s lives every day in this inspiring era. At Zoomax, engineers are always dedicated to bringing innovative technology to create smarter assistive products to help users gain easier access to their digital work, study and life.
Contact: Zoomax Technology Co, Limited
9F, Building D, Paradise Software Park, No.3 Xidoumen Road, Xihu District, Hangzhou, China 310012
Website: Zoomax
