New iPhone App Enables Blind to Translate Braille to Text

If you ever thought about learning Braille or just wanted to quickly translate something written in UEB to your iPhone, there’s a new app that can help you with that.

Software engineer Aaron Stephenson started learning Braille a few years ago. To put his knowledge into practice, he built an app using CoreML and Vision to find Braille. Now, he has just unveiled the Braille Scanner, an app that translates Braille into text using just your iPhone.

Braille Scanner allows users to take a photo of a piece of paper with Braille on it using their iPhones and then within seconds, it’s translated to text. It’s ideal for those who have visually impaired friends or family and want to read a certain Braille document with them.

The developer explains his intention behind the project and also the limitations so far:

Braille Scanner was created to help transcribe from Braille to text. It uses a combination of machine learning and vision to do this. The current transcribing model uses Unified English Braille, grade 1, and I’m planning on adding more in the coming app updates.
Here are the top features of Braille Scanner for iPhone users:

• Auto document scan;
• Braille translation using Unified English Braile (UEB), grade 1;
• Braille/texto to speech;
• Export translated text;
• Export Braille chracters;
• Seventeen different app icons.

Since the app just launched, the developer asks for feedback whether users find incorrectly translated braille, so he can build a more accurate machine learning model.

Braille Scanner requires iOS 14.7 or later. It’s free to download and you can find it here on the App Store.

The App Store already has Braille translating apps. However, all of the ones I’ve come across require you to manually input the Braille characters. What makes this app so special is that it automatically detects the characters and translates them on the spot. It’s similar to Google Translate’s camera feature, requiring little to no effort from the user.

What do you think of this initiative? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.