Touch2See: Revolutionizing Sports Monitoring for the Visually Impaired
Imagine a world where sport transcends the limits of vision, where every action, every thrill of the game is felt, not through the eyes, but through touch. That’s the world Touch2See strives to create.
Inspired by a viral video from 2018, in which a person named “César DAZA” is seen describing to a blind friend the actions of a game through touch, using a model, Arthur Chazelle founded Touch2See. This Toulouse-based startup is dedicated to making sport accessible to the visually impaired, thanks to a touch-sensitive tablet equipped with audio description.
The Current Context
The challenge of including blind and partially sighted people in sports coverage is complex and multifaceted. Current solutions, such as audio description in stadiums and sports coverage on radio, face significant limitations that hinder true immersion and participation.
Firstly, in-stadium audio description, while useful, is far from universally available. Only 3% of stadiums offer this service, severely limiting access for the visually impaired or blind. What’s more, this solution relies exclusively on a network of volunteers. Secondly, sports radio, although more widely accessible, presents its own problems. Frequent interruptions and a latency of around 20 seconds in the time lag between the actual action and its description can spoil the experience, preventing users from feeling the dynamism and immediacy of the game. Similarly, radio fails to convey the full detail and intensity of the game, often limiting itself to a verbal narrative that may lack the visual details crucial to a full understanding of the game.
These limitations explain why 9 out of 10 visually impaired or blind people feel dissatisfied with the facilities provided in stadiums for their disability. They are looking for a solution that not only transmits information accurately and in real time, but also captures the essence and emotion of the sport.
Technology for Inclusion
Faced with the challenges of making sport accessible to the visually impaired, touch2see is committed to providing an innovative solution. The touchscreen tablet we have developed is a major step forward in bringing the passion and emotion of sport to everyone.
This one-of-a-kind tablet works thanks to ultra-fast analysis of sports data in real time, harnessing artificial intelligence and the power of 5G technology. The integration of AI enables precise, instantaneous interpretation of match action, while 5G ensures fast, reliable data transmission.
AI integration enables precise, instantaneous interpretation of match action, while 5G ensures fast, reliable data transmission.
Thanks to these cutting-edge technologies, the tablet can offer an unprecedented tactile and auditory experience. Users can follow the movements of the ball with a magnetic cursor and feel the intensity of the game through haptic feedback, while receiving essential information via computerized, interactive audio description.
This combination of technological innovations makes the Touch2See tablet a powerful tool for breaking down barriers to inclusion in sport. It enables visually impaired people to experience matches in real time, with total comprehension and immersion. touch2see thus makes a significant step towards a more inclusive world.
What's next for touch2see
Touch2See’s aim is to make a wide range of sports accessible to the visually impaired. This expansion aims to cover a wider range of sporting disciplines, enabling users to experience a variety of sporting events with the same intensity and immersion as those already supported (soccer and rugby).
A crucial aspect of this vision is the tablet industrialization phase. This process is essential to increase the production and availability of tablets, making Touch2See technology accessible to more people around the world. By increasing the scale of production, Touch2See will be able to extend its impact and commitment, breaking down barriers to inclusion and significantly improving accessibility in the field of sport for blind and visually impaired people.
This industrialization stage is not just a question of quantity, but also of quality and continuous innovation. It will enable us to integrate new technological advances and enhance existing functionalities, ensuring that every user benefits from the best possible experience. By expanding the boundaries of what is possible in the field of sports inclusion, we aim to create a world where sport is truly accessible to all, regardless of disability.
