Who is Seiichi Miyake? Google Doodle honors Japanese inventor who created tenji blocks & # 39;

The work of the groundbreaking Japanese inventor Seiichi Miyake is honored by today's Google Doodle.

Miyake is best known for developing tactile coatings – bumpy or striped surfaces on stairs, pavements, and rail platforms – to help people with disabilities avoid potential hazards.

He came up with the idea in 1965 when he tried to help a visually impaired friend navigate around busy public areas.

The panels, first known as tenji blocks, were first introduced in Japan's Okayama City this day in 1967, before being made mandatory by the country's rail network one year later.

This led other cities across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka, to develop tactile coatings in the following years.

However, it was not until the 1990s that Miyake's invention became commonplace in Western countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.

The most common types of tactile coatings include raised lines or domes. The previous design indicates that it is safe to walk on a particular path, while the latter acts as a "stop" sign to alert users of possible hazards.

Although the tiles are produced in different colors, they are often colored yellow to help partially blind users.

Disability information Scotland highlights the importance of tactile bending, in a post on its website.

"As you move around a pedestrian environment, visually impaired people actively seek out tactile coatings, as a means of knowing what is ahead of them, say it.

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