# Community work & affordability

Updated September 18, 2026. These figures and descriptions are reported by the project creator. They describe the existing outreach and earlier hardware prototype, not a deployment of the new v0.4 enclosure.

## Reach: four communities, nearly 60 people

The creator reports engaging **four communities** and reaching **nearly 60 blind or visually impaired people** through project outreach. This is a measure of community contact and engagement. It is not a count of devices delivered, daily active users, or independently measured improvements in mobility.

The purpose is to make assistive technology more accessible through a low-cost device and shared practical knowledge. Community feedback and hands-on explanation inform the project alongside software and industrial-design work.

## Building local capability in three communities

The creator reports providing **practical explanations of how to make the device in three communities**, with the intention that local participants can continue making it without ongoing funding or material donations from the creator. The model focuses on transferring know-how instead of requiring recurring personal sponsorship.

Instruction has been reported; ongoing independent production volume and long-term outcomes have not been quantified here. A [session photograph](../assets/community/in-person-session.png) supplied by the project creator appears in the README. Participant names and health records are not included.

## Hardware cost

| Context | Hardware-only cost | Basis |
|---|---:|---|
| Earlier prototype made in China | **Under US$20 per unit** | Creator's report of their build at the time |
| Present-day build in the United States | **Estimated under US$30 per unit** | Creator's current estimate; not a supplier-verified quotation |
| New continuous-facet v0.4 enclosure | **Not yet separately costed** | Digital design; material, process and assembly validation pending |

These numbers exclude a phone/computer, cloud services, tools, labor and other non-hardware costs. The creator expects little additional expenditure in their existing setup, but that is not a guarantee of zero additional costs for another maker. A fully itemized bill of materials covering sourcing, shipping, taxes and enclosure fabrication is not yet available.

**Design goal:** reduce hardware cost aggressively so that affordability is less of a barrier to participation. “Accessible to everyone” is an aspiration, not a verified statement about universal suitability or availability.