FAQ

Thinkerbell Labs is an assistive technology company building innovative products for blind and visually impaired individuals. Our ecosystem combines accessible hardware and intelligent software to improve braille literacy, digital accessibility, education, employment, and independent living.

Thinkerbell Labs currently offers:

• Annie – the world’s first self-learning braille learning device for reading, writing, and typing in braille.
• Helios – a connected learning and analytics platform that helps educators, parents, and institutions monitor progress and personalize learning.
• Tactera (coming soon) – our next-generation refreshable braille display designed for students and professionals to access digital content, work, and stay productive.

Annie is the world’s first self-learning braille literacy device that helps students independently learn reading, writing, and typing in braille. Through interactive lessons, gamified learning, voice-guided instruction, and instant feedback, Annie makes braille education more engaging, accessible, and effective.

Annie is designed for blind and visually impaired children under the age of 14 who are beginning their braille learning journey. It is also used by schools, educators, NGOs, governments, and parents to deliver engaging, independent, and scalable braille education.

Annie combines tactile hardware, voice-guided lessons, interactive activities, and real-time feedback to help students learn independently at their own pace. Studies have shown that students using Annie achieve braille literacy 39% faster than with traditional learning methods.

Through Helios, educators and caregivers can:

• Track learner progress in real time.
• Assign lessons, homework, and assessments remotely.
• Monitor classroom and individual performance.
• Identify learning gaps.
• Personalize instruction based on learner progress.

Yes. Annie supports offline learning. Progress is automatically synchronized with Helios whenever an internet connection becomes available.

Annie currently offers curriculum-aligned content in 14+ languages and accents, with additional languages continuously being added.

Annie includes curriculum-aligned content developed with educators and braille experts, including:

• Pre-braille and Explore Games for foundational tactile learning
• Grade 1 English (Open braille)
• Grade 1 Bharati braille across multiple Indian languages
• Grade 2 English (Contracted braille)
• Numbers and punctuation (available upon request)
• Vocabulary-building exercises and word banks
• Interactive games, challenges, and assessments

Yes. Helios allows educators and institutions to create custom word banks, assignments, assessments, and personalized learning content. Additional content can also be developed in collaboration with Thinkerbell Labs.

An Annie Braille Smart Class consists of multiple Annie devices connected through Helios, allowing schools and institutions to deliver connected braille education at scale. Teachers can monitor every learner, assign content remotely, and analyze classroom performance through one unified platform.

Every Annie package includes:

• Annie device
• Power adapter
• Stylus
• User guide
• Getting started resources

Helios is Thinkerbell Labs’ connected learning platform that works alongside Annie. It enables educators, parents, schools, NGOs, and governments to monitor learner progress, assign content, analyze classroom performance, and generate reports.

Helios provides detailed learning analytics, including:

• Time spent learning
• Lesson completion
• Reading, writing, and typing performance
• Learning progress
• Vocabulary growth
• Classroom performance
• Institution-level reports

Tactera is Thinkerbell Labs’ upcoming refreshable braille display designed to help students and professionals access digital content, improve productivity, and navigate computers and mobile devices independently.

Tactera is designed for students transitioning to higher education and working professionals who require a portable refreshable braille display for reading, writing, communication, and productivity. While Annie helps learners learn to read, Tactera is the natural next step, empowering users to read to learn, access digital content, work independently, and thrive in education and employment.

Tactera is currently being rolled out in select markets. To receive product updates, availability information, or schedule a demonstration, please contact the Thinkerbell Labs team.

Thinkerbell Labs is building a connected ecosystem of accessible technology that supports every stage of life for blind and visually impaired individuals. Alongside expanding our product portfolio, we are developing Helios 2.0, an AI-powered analytics platform designed to deliver intelligent insights and personalized experiences across multiple disabilities, helping make learning more accessible, inclusive, and data-driven.

Yes. Thinkerbell Labs partners with schools, NGOs, CSR organizations, governments, and distributors across India and internationally to expand access to braille education and accessible technology.

You can contact the Thinkerbell Labs team through our Contact page to schedule a product demonstration, explore partnership opportunities, or learn more about Annie, Helios, and Tactera.