63 characters from six buttons.
Georgia Tech researchers have built a prototype app for touchscreens that lets users type while holding the phone facing away from the body, using six buttons to mimic the six raises dots in Braille.
Spaces and backspaces can be entered through gestures of flicking left or right on the phone.
The makers reckon they can type 32 words per minute with 92 per cent using the app.
They're keen to promote the idea as a boon for the visually impaired, but it's already been suggested that the tool could be adopted by people wishing to text surreptitiously – while driving or at schooll for example.
Mario Romero, a post doctorate fellow at Georgia Tech, said: "BrailleTouch is an out-of-the-box solution that will work with smartphones and tablets and allow users to start learning the Braille alphabet in a few minutes," said Romero.
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"It also reduces the need for expensive proprietary Braille keyboard devices, which typically cost thousands of dollars."
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