Visually impaired people (VIP) have little assistance, are often discriminated against, and do not have equal opportunity to enjoy their social and leisure life. VIP have little support to enjoy life and communicate with non-visually impaired people.
The invention is the first set of Chinese chess with different vision capabilities, including blind people of different countries, to enjoy chess together. It promotes an inclusive society, eliminates discrimination, and assists and encourages VIP to be independent and communicate with other people. The invention has several creative breakthroughs enabling VIP to search, read, locate, move and pick up chess pieces, and realize the whole setting of the chess game easily.
Special Features and Advantages
• Distinguish different chess pieces, including the different colours of pieces
• Search, read, locate, move and pick up pieces
• Read pieces from different directions without any confusion
• Realize the whole setting of the chess game
• Learn and become familiar with the game easily
• Light in weight, safe & convenient to handle & carry
The newly invented international tactile information overcomes the perplexing variations of existing Braille systems. The inclusive and universal concept allows people with different vision capabilities to play and communicate together.
Applications
The invention can be played by “all” people of different nations. It has also been applied in different international and national Chinese chess competitions for visually impaired people (VIP). The newly invented
international tactile information can be easily understood, learned and remembered by people of different ages and different vision capabilities. The concept can be extended to different kinds of similar chess games, including international/western chess.
Awards
• Gold Medal - 36th International Exhibition Inventions, New Techniques and Product, Geneva (April 2008)
• Grand Award - Prize of the First Institute of Inventors & Researchers in Islamic Republic of Iran (April 2008)
• Best Invention in the Overseas Category, Gold Medal Award & British Invention Show Award-ITEX 2008, Malaysis (May 2008)
Principal Investigator
Ir Prof. Michael Kin-wai SIU
School of Design
Contact Details
Institute for Entrepreneurship
Tel: (852) 3400 2929 Fax: (852) 2333 2410 Email: [email protected]
