Project description
A vision to give the blind full control over smartphones
People with normal vision can spend hours staring at their smartphone screens. Graphical user interfaces and touch-screen technology are widely available, from smartphones to laptops, but not always accessible for blind people. Blind people are among the most disadvantaged disability groups when it comes to smartphone usage. To assist blind people to overcome the barriers, innovative technology is being developed. The EU-funded BlindTouch project will deliver a smartphone user interface that is automatically imposed across all system functions, applications and services. Specifically, it allows the blind and visually impaired community to effectively use smartphones. The project’s vision is to better serve the visually impaired and extend the reach of smartphones and digital connectivity to them.
Objective
Today, only a fraction of the 285 million visually impaired people around the world can effectively use smartphones and connected digital services. Despite the efforts of developers and organisations promoting accessibility, blind people are painfully behind when it comes to smartphone technologies, which all use graphic UIs and touch-screens, & are expensive and entirely sight dependant leaving them using outdated, basic devices. For them, smartphones have widened the divide between them and the seeing. A new solution is needed to bridge this gap.
Project Ray have developed BlindTouch, a smartphone UI that is automatically imposed across all system functions, applications and services. All features can be easily accessed due to the multiple input options enabling the visually impaired simple operation of their digital devices. In this way BT allows the blind and visually impaired community to effectively use smartphones as part of their daily lives, bringing benefits of smartphone technology into their hands. BT provides advanced services allowing users become a contributing member of society, without a reliance on care assistants and guide dogs. It is the only smartphone solution for the visually impaired that gives them access to the connected world at an extremely reduced price.
Following a promising Israeli pilot trial that led to paying subscribers for our prototype system, Ray intend to fully commercialize the solution by reaching the market in 2021. Incorporated in Israel in 2013 with €1.15M in funding and a staff headcount of 12.
The proposed work in Phase 1 of the SME instrument fits into the overall Project Ray plan to reach market by contributing the financial resources needed to plan a fast, sound and wider deployment of the solution and the market uptake. It will also allow the SME to accomplish key feasibility activities and reduce the business risks, such as business planning, customer identification and outreach, and stronger IP management strategy.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences internet world wide web web accessibility
- engineering and technology electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering information engineering telecommunications mobile phones
- social sciences economics and business business and management commerce
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.2.1.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.2.3.1. - Mainstreaming SME support, especially through a dedicated instrument
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-SMEInst-2016-2017
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
20692 YOKNEAM
Israel
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.