Tactile World develops products designed to provide direct, tactile access to graphic objects shown on a computer screen. Using a computer interface based on proprietary gesture technology, the company provides a Braille reading experience for much less than the cost of a standard Braille display.
Tactile World offers a computer mouse that enables people who are blind and visually impaired to access on-screen content. The mouse features two dynamic Braille pads whose bumps change to represent the content under and next to the cursor. The bumps are sensitive to line thickness, falling incrementally as the user moves the cursor from a line of text.
In addition to the Braille pads, the mouse features buttons that enable the user to select a line of text without moving the mouse. The company's mouse empowers people who are blind or visually impaired to use computer-based applications, surf the internet, access social networking applications, and operate workplace programs such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Tactile Explorer was awarded a silver medal at the iENA "Ideas-Inventions-New Products" international trade show in Nuremberg in 2010.