DIVYANG ATM
A specialized ATM designed for visually impaired users — enabling blind individuals to perform financial transactions independently through audio guidance, braille labels, and a fully accessible interface.
Role
Lead Developer & Co-Inventor
Client
IIT Bhilai — in collaboration with RBI
Year
2024
Category
Hardware / Accessibility
Tech Stack
The Problem
Over 8 million visually impaired people in India depend on others for basic banking. Standard ATMs have touchscreens with no tactile feedback, tiny buttons, and interfaces that assume sight. Financial independence for the blind community requires a fundamentally different approach to ATM design.
The Approach
Designed an ATM with step-by-step audio instructions in multiple languages, physical braille labels on all key surfaces, and a simplified button layout with tactile markers. The interface guides users through each transaction via voice prompts and confirmation beeps. The technology is modular — it can be retrofitted into existing ATM hardware, making nationwide deployment feasible without replacing machines.
How it was built
Studied existing accessibility standards for banking hardware across India, Japan, and the EU to identify the gap between regulation and reality.
Prototyped the audio navigation system — multi-language TTS with transaction-specific prompts, confirmation flows, and error recovery guidance.
Designed the physical interface — braille overlays, raised tactile markers on the keypad, and a simplified screen layout for partially sighted users.
Built the integration layer to work with standard ATM software stacks, proving the retrofit approach is viable.
Filed patent under the guidance of Prof. Santosh Biswas, in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India.
Recognition
Patent filed under the guidance of Prof. Santosh Biswas (IIT Bhilai) in collaboration with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Impact
Visuals
Accessible Banking
Audio-guided transactions with braille labels — enabling independent banking for visually impaired users.
Retrofit Design
Modular hardware that integrates with existing ATM infrastructure for scalable deployment.