A braille cell you can hold in two hands
Brailly pairs six tactile buttons with friendly spoken coaching and a companion dashboard prototype. Here are the hardware details, the learning loop, and where the project is headed.
Tactile-first instruction
Six large buttons map to the six dots of a braille cell. Learners feel and recreate each pattern by hand—no screen to read.
Spoken audio coaching
A friendly voice names each letter, reacts to every attempt, and keeps the tone encouraging. Audio is generated in the cloud and streamed to the device.
A companion dashboard prototype
The web prototype explores how families and teachers could review practice and follow progress over time.
See the prototype in action
Take a closer look at the physical prototype and the tactile details learners use during a session.
Prototype specifications
- Microcontroller
- ESP32-S3 (FeatherS3)
- Input
- 6 buttons — one per braille dot
- Audio
- I2S amplifier + speaker, spoken coaching
- Storage
- microSD for audio
- Connectivity
- Wi-Fi
- Housing
- 3D-printed, biodegradable PHA filament
Roadmap
- Now: Working cloud-connected prototype
- Next: Custom PCB and a small pilot with learners
- Later: More letters, numbers, and full words
Feel a letter, press it back, build a word
Each exercise blends tactile exploration with spoken feedback, growing from single letters to whole words.
Tactile-first instruction
Six large buttons map to the six dots of a braille cell. Learners feel and recreate each pattern by hand—no screen to read.
Spoken audio coaching
A friendly voice names each letter, reacts to every attempt, and keeps the tone encouraging. Audio is generated in the cloud and streamed to the device.
A companion dashboard prototype
The web prototype explores how families and teachers could review practice and follow progress over time.
The people behind the prototypes
Brailly was developed by a small group across design, hardware, and product, with feedback from blind and low-vision users.
Lars Oberhofer
Product, UX & hardware
Heïdi
Design & user research
Gabriel
Hardware & firmware
Say hello
Leave your details and we'll get back to you—usually within a few days.
Stay in touch
Want to follow where Brailly goes next?
Educators, families, researchers, and makers are all welcome to reach out. We're happy to share photos, notes, and progress.
Email info@brailly.eu