OwnFone Braille 3D-Printed Cell Phone Launches

Various products have been developed to help the visually impaired have access to technology that is largely visual. The BrailleTouch app is one such offering, but perhaps easier to use is a new cell phone called OwnFone, which uses 3D printing to make personalized braille buttons.

The cell phones are designed to be small and simple to use, and have a decidedly unique and colorful design. The front and back pieces are 3D-printed, which is what helps keep them at low prices (£60 in the UK). The 3D-printing also allows the phones to be easily personalized.

Several different design options are available on the website, and users are able to have a few buttons printed for specific contacts, such as friends or family. The handset's phone number is printed on the back of the unit, and there is a volume rocker for adjusting volume.

The phone is basic, and doesn't offer things like voicemail. Charge time is 90 minutes, after which point the handset will run for up to three days. Unfortunately, the OwnFone is only available in the UK and Northern Ireland right now, and there's no word if an international version is in the works.

SOURCE: BBC