researchers in University of Waterloo Canada and Rochester Institute of Technology In the United States, we developed a system that allows visually impaired people to safely access mobile devices by responding to a series of haptic vibrations.
A vibration-based authentication system known as OneButtonPIN allows users to enter a PIN by pressing and holding a “single big button” on the screen, causing the device to generate a series of vibrations before counting and displaying a number. You can release the button each time. The number of vibrations is the same as the PIN number you want to enter.
“People from BLV [blind and low vision] often express frustration with existing authentication methods such as pattern drawing, fingerprint or face scanning, and PIN codes. Some methods are difficult to use effectively without visual data. Others are vulnerable to privacy attacks,” the researchers say.
“OneButtonPIN addresses these security issues using haptic vibrations that are imperceptible to outsiders.
“When prompted for a PIN code, the user presses and holds the large button on the smartphone screen. This activates a series of vibrations separated by pauses. Count the number of corresponding vibrations, release the button and repeat the process until the desired number is entered.
“This method has proven to be incredibly secure. In a second phase of the study, 10 sighted participants were tested on people using both traditional PIN entry methods and OneButtonPIN. I watched a video and tried to guess my PIN code.
“All participants were able to guess a user’s PIN using traditional methods, but none were able to guess the code input using OneButtonPIN.”
