Dot Watch is a braille smartwatch for people with visual disabilities. Made by Dot Incorporation, a startup company in South Korea, the Dot Watch allows iPhone and Android smartphone users to receive and view notifications on the watch in Braille.
Tactile Smartwatch
Dot Watch is the first tactile smart watch, with a 4 cell Braille display. This tactile smart watch connects to a user’s smart phone or operates as a standalone tactile Braille watch.
Date and Time
Dot watch can operate in either 12 hour or 24 hour (military) time mode. The watch has an alarm, a calendar, a stopwatch, and a timer.
Connectivity
When the Dot Watch is connected to a smartphone via Bluetooth, it can be used to receive notifications, alerts and messages from the phone, including caller notification.
Battery
Once fully charged, the battery lasts for 7 days. The Dot Watch is 1.7″ in diameter x 0.5″ thick and is equipped with a magnetic mesh wristband.
Collaboration with Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)
In the beginning of 2019, Mada and KOTRA agreed to collaborate in supporting best practicing assistive technology solutions that would benefit PWDs in Qatar through enhancing the development of innovations related to digital accessibility and assistive technology.
This is part of Mada’s vision to cooperate with various partners and innovators to develop a supportive ecosystem to create technological solutions that promote digital accessibility for people with disabilities and the elderly.
As part of the collaboration, Dot Watch was considered because of its potential to impact the lives of individuals with visual impairment in Qatar and the region.
Subject Matter Expertise
As part of the collaboration, Dot Watch was evaluated and supported by Mada through subject-matter expertise and end-user feedback. Mada provided subject-matter expertise throughout the development cycle of Dot Watch to ensure that it meets international quality standards and is appropriate for use within the local social and cultural context in Qatar and the Arabic speaking region.
Mada Endorsement 2019
The Mada Endorsement Program is targeted towards both international and local established entities who already have a ready-to-market ICT Accessibility and Assistive Technology solution that merits endorsement to access a broader market and specific institutions in Qatar and the region through Mada. Successful endorsement of solutions is derived from rigorous and strict criteria based on technical and end-user evaluations.
On October 30, 2019, Mada has endorsed the Dot Watch solution through its endorsement program during QITCOM to acknowledge its innovativeness and potential impact. This was done in line with Mada’s goal to continuously support the growth of Arabic digital accessible innovations with optimum potential to impact the lives of PWDs in Qatar and the region.
More information about Dot Mini can be found on their website www.dotincorp.com