Project description
New technology for visually impaired users
More than 2.6 million Europeans are blind. They are disadvantaged and underrepresented in education, employment, mobility and societal integration, partly because that existing output technologies don’t sufficiently support the visually impaired. As such, especially their inability to access graphic information (maps, websites, images, etc.) obstructs their independence and causes high unemployment rates. The EU-funded Tactonom project will provide informational autonomy and allow blind people to live a more independent life. The project proposes the first interactive output technology relying on a big tactile matrix with more than 10 500 tactile dots. The software automatically transforms the information on the computer screen into Braille letters and tactile graphics allowing the user to read texts and graphics with their fingertips.
Objective
The 2.65 M blind Europeans are strongly disadvantaged in education, employment, mobility and participation in society. This
is caused by the fact that current output technologies only relate text. Spreadsheets, charts, graphics, maps, images,
websites, floor plans and many other information types represent an almost insurmountable barrier. The inability to access
information impedes the personal, professional and financial independence and leads to an unemployment rate of 75 %
(source: RNIB) amongst blind people in Europe.
In six years Inventivio has developed the worldwide first interactive output technology that enables blind people to access
any information without the help of others. Due to its large tactile matrix with more than 10.500 tactile dots, the blind user can
read text and graphics with the fingertips.
The underlying software platform automatically transforms the information on the computer screen into Braille letters
(alphabet for the blind) and tactile graphics. The software platform is open and a wide range of tools is made available to
simplify the development of apps.
The system has reached TRL6 and is based on a break-through technology that is radically cheaper per tactile point than
the industry standard. This is achieved by dissociating the expensive actuators from the number of touch points used in the
device. By dissociating these, it becomes possible to offer the thousands of touch points needed to display graphics at an
affordable price.
The Tactonom’s mission is to provide informational autonomy and enable blind people to lead a personally, professionally
and financially more independent life. This is achieved by providing access to any information without the help of others and
thus caters to the goals of the European Disability Strategy.
With the Tactonom, Inventivio plans to help reduce the unemployment rate amongst blind people in Europe by 10 % within
the next 10 years and enable 87.600 Europeans to access a job.
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 software
- social sciences economics and business business and management employment
- social sciences sociology social issues unemployment
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.2.3. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.3. - PRIORITY 'Societal challenges
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H2020-EU.2.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies
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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-2 - SME instrument phase 2
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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-EIC-SMEInst-2018-2020
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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.
90427 Nurnberg
Germany
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.