Our technology can be useful for many different people and for different reasons but for individuals with a visual impairment it allows communication in the many situations where existing assistive technologies are inadequate. The tools available to communicate with a smartphone if you have a visual impairment are not well suited for staying connected while you live an active life. Braille displays are big and clunky. Screen readers and voice commands are best suited for quiet environments and risk disclosing private information. Screen readers also require auditory attention which means hearing can not be used to interact with and understand your surroundings while you are using it.
Our wristband, xBand, helps you stay connected, wherever you are and whatever you are doing. You can discreetly read text messages or check the time without using a Braille display or blocking your ears with headphones. With xBand, you can keep your focus on what's going on around you, instead of on your phone.
We believe in communication beyond seeing and hearing. By using the expertise of individuals who already communicate with their smartphone using little or no sight we believe we can make technology better, not only for individuals with a visual impairment, but for everyone. That is why we have worked closely with advisors and test pilots with visual impairments to develop our product xBand.
Among other things, we have adopted a screen-reader-first design principle when developing our mobile application in which we start out by thinking about how the structure and the flow of the user interface will appear to a screen reader. This has not only increased productivity by giving us a more structured way to think and communicate about design, it has also led to cleaner and more structured interfaces that are easier to navigate regardless if you use a screen reader or not.