Glossary
Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.
49 results found in Hardware.
- Alternative input device (Alternative access method, Switch access)
- Any input method that replaces or supplements standard keyboard, mouse, or joystick interfaces to enable people with motor impairments to operate computers, wheelchairs, and other technology. Examples…
- Augmented reality (AR)
- A technology that overlays digital information — such as text, images, highlights, or 3D objects — onto the user's view of the real world, typically through smart glasses, head-mounted displays, or sm…
- Bluetooth (BLE, Bluetooth Low Energy)
- A short-range wireless communication standard used to exchange data between devices over distances of up to approximately 30 metres. In accessibility, Bluetooth is widely used in assistive technology:…
- Braille display (Refreshable braille display, Braille terminal)
- An electromechanical device that renders text as tactile braille characters using small pins that raise and lower dynamically. Braille displays connect to computers and mobile devices, enabling blind …
- Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)
- An electronic light sensor used in cameras and scanners that converts light into electrical signals. CCDs capture images by accumulating electric charge in proportion to the intensity of light hitting…
- Depth Camera (Depth Sensor, RGB-D Camera, 3D Camera)
- A depth camera is a device that captures both standard visual imagery and per-pixel distance information, producing a 3D representation of the scene. Technologies include structured light (projecting …
- Digital Signal Processor (DSP)
- A specialised microprocessor designed to perform mathematical operations on digital signals in real time, such as filtering, compression, and pattern recognition. In assistive technology, DSPs are use…
- Digital fabrication (Fab, Digital manufacturing)
- The process of creating physical objects from digital designs using computer-controlled tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC machines. In accessibility contexts, digital fabrication enabl…
- Dual Channel Audio (Dual Audio Channel, Two-Channel Audio)
- An audio configuration that provides two independent, simultaneous audio streams to a user, typically through separate channels in a headset. In assistive technology, dual channel audio is important f…
- Electromagnetic Tracking (Magnetic Tracking, 6-DOF Tracking)
- Electromagnetic tracking is a position and orientation sensing technology that uses electromagnetic fields to determine the location and rotation of a sensor in three-dimensional space. Systems like t…
- Embedded System (Embedded Device, Embedded Computer)
- A specialised computer system designed to perform a dedicated function within a larger device, typically operating with real-time constraints and limited resources. Unlike general-purpose computers, e…
- FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array)
- An integrated circuit that can be configured by the user after manufacturing to implement custom digital logic. FPGAs contain an array of programmable logic blocks and interconnects that can be reprog…
- Flatbed Scanner (Desktop Scanner, Document Scanner)
- A device that uses a flat glass surface on which documents or books are placed face-down to be digitised by a sensor that moves beneath the glass. In assistive technology, flatbed scanners have been u…
- Form Factor (Device Form Factor, Handset Form Factor)
- Form factor refers to the overall physical size, shape, weight, and mechanical configuration of a device — for mobile phones this includes distinctions like candy-bar, clamshell (flip), slide-out keyb…
- Graphics Tablet (Drawing Tablet, Pen Tablet, Digitiser Tablet)
- An input device consisting of a flat surface on which a user draws or points with a stylus to interact with a computer. Graphics tablets translate the position and pressure of the stylus into cursor m…
- Haptic Device (Haptic Interface, Force-Feedback Device, Tactile Device)
- A hardware device that provides tactile or force feedback to users, enabling them to feel virtual objects, textures, resistance, or vibrations. Haptic devices range from simple vibration motors in sma…
- HoloLens (Microsoft HoloLens)
- A self-contained, wearable mixed reality headset developed by Microsoft that overlays interactive holograms onto the user's real-world environment. HoloLens uses spatial mapping, gaze tracking, gestur…
- Impulse Engine (Impulse Engine 3000)
- The Impulse Engine 3000 was a force-feedback haptic device manufactured by Immersion Corporation in the 1990s, used for research into haptic interfaces and virtual reality. The device featured a probe…
- Inertial measurement unit (IMU)
- A sensor device that combines accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers to measure and report body movement, orientation, and gravitational forces. IMUs are widely used in assistive tech…
- Keypad (Numeric Keypad, Phone Keypad, Small Keypad)
- A keypad is a compact input device with a small number of keys, typically arranged in a 3x4 grid (phone keypads) or other constrained layouts. In accessibility contexts, keypads are relevant both as t…