Face Express
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The challenge
Social interaction relies on facial expressions like a smile or sad face. Visually impaired and blind children cannot see these cues, creating a gap in emotional literacy. This makes it hard for them to understand others or express their own feelings.
Who it helps
Visually impaired children developing social-emotional skills, special education teachers, developmental psychologists, and therapeutic rehabilitation centers.
How it works
The toolkit translates visual expressions into physical models explored through touch. By feeling features like curved lips, children "read" emotions with their fingers. This bridges the social-emotional gap, empowering confident social interactions.
A pedagogical and therapeutic toolkit featuring highly defined, 3D-printed tactile models of human faces showcasing core, exaggerated emotions (such as joy, sadness, anger, and fear).
Tools needed
PC or MAC I7 +
FDM Printer
Project details
- Stage: Prototype
- Built by the TOM Israel community community, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Team: Children and youth (elementary and middle school ages) with visual impairments and blindness, specifically from the "Or and Shema" therapeutic center in the Southern District of Israel.
- Category: Therapy
The build files for Face Express are free to download from this page - open source, shared by TOM: Tikkun Olam Makers.
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