Photos: Award-winning, innovative product design of 2009
Instant Braille - Award-winning product design of 2009
Non-Braille books are made accessible to the blind with the Haptic Reader, designed by researchers at Handong Global University and Keimyung University, both in South Korea.
When placed on a page, the reader scans typed letters and converts them to their Braille equivalent on the device's upper surface. The text can also be converted to speech.
The 2009 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) competition winners have just been announced. Co-sponsored by BusinessWeek magazine and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the awards are "dedicated to fostering business and public understanding of the importance of industrial design excellence to the quality of life and economy", says the IDSA.
Here are some of New Scientist's favourites from this year's awards, including a cookbook you can taste, shoes made from trash, and a genius cheese grater
Start the conversation
0 comments