I talking tactile models made by an Italian start-up, Tooteko, aim to improve the quality of life of visually impaired people.
Figures published in August 2014 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) report a total of 285 million people in the world with visual impairment: 39 million blind and 246 million visually impaired. As well as important economic implications, visual impairment has a huge social impact and, therefore, any initiative aimed at the rehabilitation and support of people with visual impairment must be taken seriously. In this context, the talking tactile models made by an Italian start-up, Tooteko, which has focused on a handmade product to improve the quality of life of visually impaired people
In many museums around the world, reproductions of the most important works of art in each collection are already available to enable the blind and visually impaired to enjoy them. However, such models in themselves are 'dumb' and human guidance is needed to supplement tactile perception with verbal information.
The peculiarity of Tooteko is that the explanation can be activated through the contact of the hand with the different parts of the work: touching the capital provides all the information about it, just as touching the architrave provides all the details. The information is obtained according to the sequence desired and decided by the visually impaired, while audio guides certainly cannot follow the tactile perception process of each person.
The first prototype was born as a spin-off of a thesis for the Master's degree in Digital Architecture at the University of Venice: Serena Ruffato wanted to make a 3D print of the façade of a church in Venice and then design a tactile model of it, but where to put the Braille inscriptions? In how many languages? What extra space needed to be devoted to the legend and the respective translations. To answer these questions, a prototype was developed, which has now become an innovative device, based on the same idea: to associate, in a prepared object, touch with hearing what is being touched. If the work already has a tactile model, only the digital component is provided, whereas if it is an original or a large work, a 3D scan is made and then a 3D digital model is developed which is equipped with audio sensors.
Tooteko consists of three basic elements: a hi-tech ring, a tactile holder with an NFC tag and an app for tablets or smartphones.
The hi-tech ring reads NFC tags and, thanks to the Tooteko App, communicates wirelessly with a smartphone or tablet. During the tactile navigation of the media, when the finger reaches a hotspot recognisable thanks to a Braille-encoded button, the ring identifies the NFC tag it contains and activates the audio track related to the touched point through the App. In this way, each hotspot corresponds to an audio information relevant to the touched detail.
Tooteko is based on low-cost technology and can be applied to three-dimensional supports such as statues, architecture, works of art or design, but also to thermoformed cards, tactile supports.
For more information visit http://www.tooteko.com/
Dr. Carmelo Chines
Direttore responsabile
English 
Italian