Google has officially launched the Eyes-Free shell for Android, the first public release of an Android branch that enables ‘eyes-free use’ of mobile devices.
Along with the shell, which is available in the Android Marketplace, Google has made available a variety of simple applications demonstrating text-to-speech functionality. Also available via the Marketplace, the applications are not only aimed at end users, but also developers looking to familiarize themselves with potential use cases.
Here’s a rundown of the apps:
- the Talking Dialer enables one-handed number dialing by providing a talking phonebook. In this way, one tap of a contact on the touchscreen will dial the number
- Knowing Your Location speaks your current location in terms of a nearby address and street intersection found on Google Maps. It uses GPS, cell tower triangulation, and the built-in compass to find you
- Device State announces system features such as battery state, signal strength, and the availability of Wi-Fi networks
- Date And Time provides single-touch access to, you guessed it, date and time, which I assume, is spoken to the user
Some of the implications of Project Eyes-Free are pretty obvious. For instance, an Android device could be placed on a vehicle dashboard and used as a voice-guided GPS device. Haptic feedback technologies, if integrated into Android, could be combined with eyes-free technology to enable blind users to easily use an Android mobile device. And the list goes on and on.
Google, via Project Eyes-Free, has started a Youtube channel where it posts videos illustrating use cases. They’re worth checking out. Plus developers interested in contributing to the project can find the source code in this Google Code respository and join the dedicated discussion group.
