Inspired by Japan’s fascination with nail art, Braille Nails combines the latest in material design and computer vision technologies to make this decorative art form more expressive and useful for the visually impaired.

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Throughout the Braille Nails project, we held interviews and focus groups with visually impaired people, and experts in accessibility.  This helped us to better understand our users, their daily pain points, and ultimately their needs.  It was through this research and the feedback that we began to develop Braille Nails, leveraging technology to solve real-life problems.

 

 The Braille Nails kit consists of two parts, a set of nails, and a companion camera-badge.  The nails double as a marker, allowing the camera to track the user’s hand movements even in visually complex environments.

We combined 3D printing, textural design, and distinctive colors to create a range of nail designs that evoke different moods through both sight and touch.

 

More info: Project Site