Move over braille, this device reads books aloud

Ever fancied a device that would read books for you while you just move your finger over the text?

FingerReader, a device developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Media Lab, reads text aloud as users run their fingers over each word.

The device can be used by visually impaired people who require help with accessing printed text and also for language translation.

Users scan a text line with their finger and receive an audio feedback of the words and a haptic feedback of the layout - start and end of line, new line and other cues.

Haptic feedback is a tactile feedback technology that takes advantage of the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations or motions to the user.

The FingerReader algorithm knows to detect and give feedback when the user veers away from the baseline of the text and helps them maintain a straight scanning motion within the line, said an MIT release.