288 thin pins located in a 12x24 rectangle - a screen for the blind created by developers from Stanford

A new development by Stanford scientists allows visually impaired people to sense three-dimensional objects and work in complex programs.

It is very difficult for blind and visually impaired people to use modern gadgets. Scientists from Stanford came up with a way to simplify their interaction with the computer. The device displays information in 3D using a display consisting of 288 thin pins.

"2.5D display" is a design that consists of pins forming a 12x24 rectangle. The upper ends of these pins are rounded, making them more pleasant to touch. Recreating the shape of various objects, they lower and rise. Moreover, this happens so quickly that the "2.5D display" works in real time.

“This opens up new opportunities for blind people - not only to be consumers of technology, but also to create their own with the help of three-dimensional modeling,” explained one of the developers, Joshua Mile, who, by the way, is blind himself.

“2.5D display” got its name due to the fact that the entire object does not show. But it allows you to determine its shape.

At this stage, this is just a prototype that is very far from commercial implementation.