Braille phone for the blind to be made using 3D printing

OwnFone has released what is reported to be the first Braille mobile phone, which has been part-manufactured using a 3D printer.

The use of 3D printing on the front and back panels of the device keeps manufacturing costs down, the company said, allowing it to offer customisation options it wouldn't have been able to do had the company used other production techniques.

Inventor Tom Sunderland told the BBC: "This is the first phone to have a 3D printed keypad and for people that can't read Braille, we can print texture and raised text on the phone. Our 3D phone printing process is patent pending."

The phone can be personalised with two or four Braille buttons which are pre-programmed to call friends, family, carers or the emergency services. This custom design can be specified on OwnFone's website when ordering the device.

OwnFone has produced a number of the devices in the past, including one for seniors and one for children.

The 1stFone is a credit card-sized device with pre-programmed buttons for calling important numbers, such as a child's mother and father. Like the Braille phone, it is personalised to include shortcut buttons and comes in a number of quirky designs. The company plans to launch a more advanced version of the 1stFone, called the 2ndFone soon, with numbers rather than shortcuts.

Like the 1stFone, the Senior Phone features shortcuts to emergency numbers and the battery will last up to a year on standby.

With any of OwnFone's products, you can choose to have the shortcut buttons listed as names, pictures or Braille.

The Braille phone is the most expensive that OwnFone offers, retailing at 60, compared to 40 for the text-only interface and 50 for pictures.