3D PRINTABLE TOYS THAT HELP CHILDREN TO UNDERSTAND THEIR WORLD

Fittle toolset integrates Braille and shape to help kids visualize objects in a way

Fittle is a truly incredible project that aims to help children with visual impairments to better understand and visualize the shape of objects. The toolset is based on puzzles: individual pieces fit together to form an object. There are as many pieces as numbers of words, for example, fish-shaped Fittle has four pieces; each piece includes a letter of the word embossed in Braille, so the first piece has “F,” the second “I” and so on. The Fittle also integrates with a smartphone app that provides auditory feedback, rounding out the sensory reach of this learning toy.

As if Fittle wasn’t cool enough, the project is open source, meaning that anyone can download and print up a Fittle toolset. This also allows for material-experimentation, like printing-up a fish in a squishy rubber material to provide even more sensory information about what a fish is.