Tangible AI Toolkit for Co-Making Physical DIY-AT for People with Visual Impairments

Existing assistive technologies typically adopt a one-size-fits-all approach, overlooking the individual needs of people with visual impairments (PVI). We present an AI-assisted tangible toolkit that empowers PVI to create personalized do-it-yourself assistive technologies (DIY-ATs). Our toolkit consists of ten single-function modules that can be flexibly assembled, including six Sensing modules (e.g., Motion, Temperature, Camera) to retrieve information and four Feedback modules (e.g., Vibration, Sound) to present multi-module feedback. Unlike conventional toolkits requiring users to craft solutions independently, our toolkit provides a generative AI (GAI) assistant, supporting PVI to explore the modules, brainstorm creative ideas, and configure and debug solutions.