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was a Japanese engineer and inventor best known for his work on
In 1965, Seiichi Miyake used his own money to create tactile bricks, which have patterns of raised shapes on their surfaces that can be detected by touch. He invented the blocks to help a friend who was starting to have visual impairment. These patterns indicate different safety or hazard conditions, such as raised dots or blisters for "caution", or long parallel strips for "safe to move ahead". They were also used to identify the boundary between footpath and the road. There are generally two predominant types, namely, the bricks with dots and bricks with bars. The former alerts the visually impaired of danger while the bars provide directional cues. However, "the paths have been constructed inconsistently," in different times and places.Lupton, Ellen and Lipps, Andrea (2018). ''The Senses: Design Beyond Vision'', p.136. Chronicle Books. .Pissaloux, Edwige and Velazquez, Ramiro (2017). ''Mobility of Visually Impaired People: Fundamentals and ICT Assistive Technologies'', p.364. Springer. .
Two years later, on 18 March 1967,
Traffic Safety Research Center, Inc history
(Japanese)
Biography "Happy yellow road"
on
tactile paving
Tactile paving (also called tenji blocks, truncated domes, detectable warnings, tactile tiles, tactile ground surface indicators, tactile walking surface indicators, or detectable warning surfaces) is a system of textured ground surface indicat ...
(or "Tenji bricks", "Tactile bricks/blocks") to aid the visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
at traffic crossings. Miyake's system of tactile paving was first introduced at a school for the blind in Okayama City
is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is .
The city i ...
in March 1967, and has since been adopted around the world.
Early life
Seiichi Miyake was born on 5 February 1926 inKurashiki
is a historic city located in western Okayama Prefecture, Japan, sitting on the Takahashi River, on the coast of the Inland Sea. As of March 31, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 483,576 and a population density of 1,400 persons per ...
, Okayama Prefecture.
Inventing tactile bricks
In 1965, Seiichi Miyake used his own money to create tactile bricks, which have patterns of raised shapes on their surfaces that can be detected by touch. He invented the blocks to help a friend who was starting to have visual impairment. These patterns indicate different safety or hazard conditions, such as raised dots or blisters for "caution", or long parallel strips for "safe to move ahead". They were also used to identify the boundary between footpath and the road. There are generally two predominant types, namely, the bricks with dots and bricks with bars. The former alerts the visually impaired of danger while the bars provide directional cues. However, "the paths have been constructed inconsistently," in different times and places.Lupton, Ellen and Lipps, Andrea (2018). ''The Senses: Design Beyond Vision'', p.136. Chronicle Books. .Pissaloux, Edwige and Velazquez, Ramiro (2017). ''Mobility of Visually Impaired People: Fundamentals and ICT Assistive Technologies'', p.364. Springer. .
Two years later, on 18 March 1967, Okayama City
is the capital city of Okayama Prefecture in the Chūgoku region of Japan. The city was founded on June 1, 1889. , the city has an estimated population of 720,841 and a population density of 910 persons per km2. The total area is .
The city i ...
(western Japan) was the first place to install this invention for visually impaired people. The bricks' bright color is visible to people with low vision and cognitive impairments.
Ten years later, thanks to its safety and navigation benefits, the use of tactile bricks became mandatory in the Japan National Railway
The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987.
Network Railways
As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...
. By 1985, it was mandated for broader use in Japan.
Honours
In 2010, the Okayama Prefectural Association for the Visually Impaired registered March 18 as the Day of the Tenji Block with the Japan Anniversary Association. A monument for the Tenji Block birthplace was unveiled at the Harojima intersection in Naka Ward with a theme song, "Shiawase no kiiroi michi" (Yellow road of happiness). On 18 March 2019,Google Doodle
A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...
honoured him by creating a short animation of a person with a probing cane being moved over tactile bricks.
See also
*Universal design
Universal design is the design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability or other factors. It addresses common barriers to participation by creating things that can be used by the ma ...
*Braille
Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille disp ...
*Japanese Inventions
This is a list of Japanese inventions and discoveries. The Japanese have made contributions across a number of scientific and technological domains. In particular, the country has played a crucial role in the digital revolution since the 20th ce ...
References
External links
Traffic Safety Research Center, Inc history
(Japanese)
Biography "Happy yellow road"
on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
(Japanese)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Miyake, Seiichi
1926 births
1982 deaths
Date of death missing
Japanese inventors
People from Okayama Prefecture