Digitized Braille cell: a novel solution for visually impaired

Abstract

Braille is a system of raised dots. Normal human beings read braille code with their eyes whereas visually impaired person with their fingers. Braille is not a language but is a code. With Braille code many languages such as English, French, Spanish etc. may be written and read. All over the world many people use this code in their own native language, thereby providing literacy to one and all. Braille is traditionally written on an embossed paper which is static in nature. Advanced Braille allows people to read digital documents with the use of refreshable braille displays. The aim is to design and implement a system capable of making the process of Braille reading easier and more economic to the visually impaired users. In this paper a new and improvised design for Braille Cell is proposed and implemented using the Arduino UNO and electromagnetic relays as tactile device. The proposed device outperforms the existing devices in terms of manufacturing complexity, cost and ease of use. A prototype was developed and tested with several visually impaired people to validate the operation. If implemented on a larger scale, the product promises to be of an efficient replacement to the existing braille books.