Braille Whale

Braille Whale
our buttons
start button

Our Inspiration

One of the most inaccessible items to those that are visually impaired are the flat screens and buttons on common appliances, such as ovens. While there are many different oven models, most modern ovens have flat buttons, which are useless to those that cannot see. We modeled our prototype using AutoCAD software to create the buttons, Inventor to create the framework, and then we printed them out with a 3D printer. We have a laser-engraved wood panel that is a to-scale model of a flat-screen oven panel for demonstration purposes. Braille Whale is meant to stick onto a screen panel using suction cups, allowing for easy removal.

Challenges we ran into

While we wanted our design to have electronic buttons to recreate the function of standard oven buttons, the bread board would have been too bulky to implement. As a substitute, be used what we found in the makerspace, such as screw caps, springs, and a plastic bag to make functioning buttons. In addition, we had issues with the 3D printer. Many times the braille would be too small to print properly and the braille would be hard to read. To solve this problem, we had to remove the excess material to emphasize the braille.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our team was able to successful create a prototype of our idea and bring it from sketch to model. We were able to problem solve and create materials that we needed such as springs, which we made by using soldering wire and a screw driver.

What we learned

We researched a lot about the issues that visually impaired people struggle with when using ovens. From this information, we were able to take those concerns into the idea of our design, such making it attachable and portable for people that had issues with using ovens in other spaces.

What's next for Braille Whale

Once we are able to get compact electronics buttons, we would want to create a more customizable model that can fit the screens of other oven brands and appliances. Additionally, implementing audio tools to announce the time, temperature, or cook settings, and developing a way for the visually impaired to set up the Braille Whale without the assistance of a sighted person are future goals.