Once upon a time -- at the beginning of the smartphone era -- it was relatively simple to come up with original app ideas and develop them. The App Stores on both iOS and Android weren't as packed with replicas of the same concepts. The space to innovate and provide was wider, and now it continues to shrink as there are apps that meet most people's needs. So to publish an app with potential -- that actually adds value to the App Store -- one must think really hard about what users might need but aren't actively aware of. If it's an obvious need, there's probably already an app (or a dozen) for it. And if it's useless, then.. it's useless. So the trick is finding the midpoint and filling that untouched gap. That's what makes Braille Scanner unique in an App Store overtaken by clones and recycled ideas.

Developed by Aaron Stephenson, this app allows users to scan Braille papers and convert them to English text -- through Machine Learning. It's ideal for those who have visually impaired friends or family and want to read a certain Braille document with them. The app supports Braille/text to speech, exporting Braille or translated text, and 17 custom icons. It's available to download for free and has no in-app purchases (IAP) at the time of writing. Additionally, the developer states that Braille Scanner doesn't collect any user data. So you can use this handy app without compromising your privacy.

Braille Scanner iOS

The App Store already has Braille translating apps. However, all of the ones I've seen require you to manually input the Braille characters. What makes this app so special is that it automatically detects the characters and translates them on the spot. It's similar to Google Translate's camera feature, requiring little to no effort from the user.

Will you be downloading the Braille Scanner app? Let us know in the comments section below.