Gadgets and toys with cutting-edge technology to cater for people with visual impairment are gaining traction in Japan, as an increasing number of firms are adopting inclusive designs that can be handled easily by many.
Sony Corp. launched last year a digital camera that projects the subject captured by the device onto the user's retina via laser technology, allowing visually impaired people to see things though a viewfinder and take photos.
Jointly developed with laser device maker QD Laser Inc., based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, the camera, DSC-HX99 RNV Kit, uses a method that depends less on the eye's ability to focus.
The companies donated some 200 such cameras to schools and facilities for the visually impaired across Japan so they can feel the joy of self-expression through taking pictures, the Tokyo-based electronics giant said.
Students at Tokyo Metropolitan Hachioji School for the Blind in the west of Tokyo were excited to use the cameras.
"I saw things clearly. I was able to take pictures," one of the students said after experimenting with the product last month.
Yukiko Tajima, the school's principal, said, "The new technology allows students to have a richer experience. We hope to come up with ways to put the cameras to good use."
Japanese toy maker Tomy Co. in April launched a driving game that helps visually-impaired players maneuver a vehicle with the aid of numerous voice instructions, such as, "Turn left," or "(The rival car) is in the center."
The device allows users to take part in different scenarios, such as chasing a thief to competing with other cars on a circuit. It also gives audible instructions explaining the rules of each game, the company said.
In 2020, Citizen Watch Co. launched a wristwatch that allows people to read the time by touching its hands, helping users who may be worried about disrupting their surroundings by using a watch that tells the time audibly.
The product was developed in collaboration with a school for visually impaired people in Thailand and the watch maker plans to take their opinions into account when designing new products, it said.
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