The world’s first braille smartwatch, developed by a Korean start-up, will make its debut at the upcoming Mobile World Congress, the telecom industry’s largest gathering in Barcelona next week.

According to the developer Dot, the device has 30 braille dots on the watch face so that blind people can send text messages without limitations. Thanks to a special module set that has drastically reduced the size of the device, the price has also become affordable at about $300. 

While the current voice-to-message services have some privacy issues for blind people to use smartphones in public places, the new device is expected to help improve their mobile life overall.

A concept model, which was first revealed last year, has already grabbed a lot of attention around the world. This is the first time that the final product will be unveiled to the public. Its official launch is expected to come within the year.

Dot is one of several venture firms that SK Telecom, the nation’s largest telecom operator, has supported under its start-up accelerator program over the past year.

Along with Dot, the company plans to invite three other start-ups to display their latest technologies and meet global clients during the MWC that runs from Feb. 22 to 25. 

The others include Wisejet, a high-speed mirroring device maker, Visual Camp, a virtual reality technology developer, and Haeden Bridge, a video conference developer based on the Internet of Things technology.

“We will support Korean start-ups to expand their global presence during the MWC,” said Kim Jeong-soo, an SK Telecom executive. “Our efforts continue to repeat their success stories.”

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)