TactileGrid is a low-cost, reconfigurable tactile display that lets blind and visually impaired people play games, explore spatial information, and compete alongside sighted players.
TactileGrid is a board with a grid of rotating 12-sided rings, each carrying 12 unique tactile textures. A smartphone sends a layout via Bluetooth, motors rotate the rings, and the surface reconfigures in about one second — creating a tactile display for games, education, maps, and more at a fraction of the cost of existing devices.
Represent chess, checkers, puzzles, and custom game boards — play head-to-head with sighted friends.
Feel graphs, maps, and geometric diagrams. TactileGrid makes visual learning tangible.
Built as a Public Benefit Corporation — our mission is affordable, accessible technology for the blind and visually impaired community.
The assistive tech industry has made great progress with text access, but spatial and gaming experiences remain largely out of reach.
Existing tactile displays cost $5,000–$15,000+. For most users worldwide — especially in lower-income countries — this places them completely out of reach.
Current tactile displays are designed primarily for reading text. They can't easily render game boards, maps, or spatial layouts — leaving a gap for spatial reasoning, play, and interactive learning.
Blind individuals are routinely excluded from tabletop games, STEM classrooms, and competitive activities — siloed from sighted peers by inaccessible formats.
We're building in public. Here's where we are and where we're headed — sign up to follow along and be the first to know when TactileGrid is ready.
Market research and feasibility study on tactile ring design and motor technology.
Engineering the first 4×4 motorized prototype. Iterating on ring design, motor control, and companion app.
User interviews with blind communities, partnering with schools for the blind and disability advocacy groups to test with real users and refine the experience.
Production manufacturing, school pilot programs, and direct-to-consumer sales. Targeting education institutions and accessibility organizations.
We're looking for schools, educators, and partners to help test and refine TactileGrid.
Email UsWhether you're a potential partner, educator, researcher, investor, or someone who wants to see TactileGrid succeed — we'd love to hear from you.
Nicolas Bulgarides — Founder, Lotus Educational Technology PBC