BOLBORETA INNOVA GROUP / BOLBORETA INVESTIGA / IDEAS / TACTILE VISION READING AND WRITING

Tactile Vision Literacy

New sensory pathways for a future of opportunity

Remote environmental recognition and passive tactile reading acquisition in blind children through an abdominal vibrotactile device.

Focus areas

Life Sciences

Type of research

Applied experimental research

Place of realization

Mexico

Principal investigator

Tomás Ortiz Alonso

Start Date

November 2025

End Date

Ongoing

Technology readiness level (TRL)

4-5

Our Services

Funding, technological support, prototype development, and logistics

Sustainable Development Goals

CURRENT PHASE OF THE PROJECT

1

Problem DEFINITION

2

Hypothesis

3

Research for hypothesis validation

4

results ANALYSIS

5

Publication

WHAT THE PROJECT IS ABOUT

This project represents the evolution of the Abdominal Tactile Vision Project, which demonstrated the potential of childhood neuroplasticity to reinterpret touch as visual information. Building on that foundation, we take the next step by embedding the technology into the real lives of children with congenital blindness—prioritizing everyday experience and autonomy beyond the home. In this context, schools become a central pillar of the initiative.

The system combines glasses equipped with micro‑cameras and an enhanced tactile belt that translates the surrounding environment into vibrotactile patterns on the abdomen. These signals stimulate brain regions associated with vision and, through progressive training, enable children to identify objects, shapes, letters, and even people.

The objective is clear: to create new sensory pathways that foster independence, social participation, and long‑term opportunity—both during childhood and into adulthood. Results to date show consistent progress and significant potential to continue transforming lives.

Feeling to see. Innovate to include.

KEY WORDS:
Neuroscience
Tactile vision
Neuroplasticity
Childhood blindness
Sensory substitution
Passive tactile stimulation
fMRI
EEG
Haptic Interfaces
Inclusion
Adaptive environment
Neuroeducation
Autonomous learning

The methodology mirrors that of the previously approved project by biosecurity, research, and ethics committees, with one key variation: training is conducted within school environments, where each child completes daily sessions guided by teachers specifically trained in this multisensory learning approach.

Procedure

Daily passive tactile training via abdominal vibration
Progressive exposure to letters, words, and sentences
Assessment of active and passive tactile recognition
Handwriting exercises to confirm learning consolidation
Success/error trials and reaction‑time measurement
Brain activation monitoring via EEG and magnetic resonance imaging

Sample

6 children aged 4–9 years.
Exclusion criteria: additional sensory deficits, intellectual disability, brain injury, and neuropsychiatric conditions.

Four literacy training phases in the school environment:

Phase one

Automatic passive tactile training of letters.

Active recognition using fingers.
Repeated passive exposure (100 ms per letter).
Handwriting practice.
Daily final trials.

Phase two

On‑screen letter reading via camera
Remote letter localization
Passive tactile identification on the abdomen
Writing on paper
Daily recognition of simple words

Phase three

Word reading
Starting with 2–4‑letter words
Identification via vibration
Full writing and performance measurement
Progressive expansion to 5–6‑letter words

Phase four

Short sentence reading
Simple four‑word sentences
Passive tactile recognition
Complete writing
Daily trials

TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

Electro-writing belt

From perception to language:
System architecture for inclusive eduacation.

The technological development of this project is the natural evolution of the devices originally created for the Abdominal Tactile Vision Project. Building on that foundation, we have advanced toward a more sophisticated, precise, and user‑friendly version—designed to be lighter, more comfortable, and fully

The new abdominal belt incorporates upgraded motors capable of generating clearer, more precise tactile patterns—essential for accurate neural interpretation of environmental information. The system has been optimized end‑to‑end to deliver an improved user experience:

–Smart glasses: the system’s sensory input layer, equipped with a range (3D) camera, a conventional camera, and a pair of speakers.

-Haptic belt:  the module responsible for dermal perception, featuring a matrix of 256 electromagnetic actuators generating two‑dimensional tactile patterns. It serves as the core human–machine interface and integrates control electronics and logic modules, managed directly from the belt via onboard controls for fine‑tuning, firmware updates, and maintenance.

–Lithium-ion battery: a high‑power‑density battery sized to ensure continuous operation throughout the testing period.

In addition, a dedicated application has been developed to enhance user experience, along with custom firmware that optimizes the system’s computational and logical resources.

The system is completed by lightweight tablet‑based software that enables teachers to monitor, in real time, the specific stimuli delivered by the belt to each child. This immediate visibility allows dynamic adjustment of training, accurate progress evaluation, and more intuitive, evidence‑based learning guidance.

Together, these enhancements consolidate a more robust, accessible, and everyday‑ready system—reinforcing its potential as a technology capable of unlocking new pathways for sensory autonomy and learning.

Explore the challenges behind the design and development of this device through the eyes of its creators. In this interview, the engineers behind its development share their insights, key learnings, and reflections. Press play to discover more.