Braille Display Research Articles

Refreshable Braille Display With Adjustable Cell Size for Learners With Different Tactile Sensitivity.

Braille is one of the most popular mediums of education for the blind. However, learning braille requires trainers and a lot of practice. Additionally, different individuals have different levels of tactile sensitivity at their fingertips. The tactile components get often overlooked in most braille learning devices and related studies. Our solution is a single cell refreshable braille display with six custom-made electromechanical flapper actuators. It incorporates speech functionalities to facilitate self-learning and independent operation. The cell size can be adjusted according to the learner's preference by moving the actuators. The device can provide standard braille cell dimensions and elevation as well. It is designed to help learners with different tactile perceptions improve themselves through practice and adapt to standard size braille. The operational conditions and force analysis of the braille dots were performed. Two tests were also performed with two different cell sizes to evaluate the device with several blind students. The device is very affordable and easy to maintain. It can also be used to teach braille to the sighted.

Precise Controlling of Friction and Adhesion on Reprogrammable Shape Memory Micropillars.

Microstructured surfaces with stimuli-responsive performances have aroused great attention in recent years, but it still remains a significant challenge to endow surfaces with precisely controlled morphological changes in microstructures, so as to get the precise control of regional properties (e.g., friction, adhesion). Herein, a kind of carbonyl iron particle-doped shape memory polyurethane micropillar with precisely controllable morphological changes is realized, upon remote near-infrared light (NIR) irradiation. Owing to the reversible transition of micropillars between bent and upright states, the micro-structured surface exhibits precisely controllable low-to-high friction transitions, together with the changes of friction coefficient ranging from ∼0.8 to ∼1.2. Hence, the changes of the surface friction even within an extremely small area can be precisely targeted, under local NIR laser irradiation. Moreover, the water droplet adhesion force of the surface can be reversibly switched between ∼160 and ∼760 μN, demonstrating the application potential in precisely controllable wettability. These features indicate that the smart stimuli-responsive micropillar arrays would be amenable to a variety of applications that require remote, selective, and on-demand responses, such as a refreshable Braille display system, micro-particle motion control, lab-on-a-chip, and microfluidics.

A Braille Reading System Based on Electrotactile Display With Flexible Electrode Array

Due to visual impairment and lack of social attention, the reading problem of the blind has not been well resolved. Many existing Braille reading devices still have many problems and are not accepted by the public. This paper developed a portable Braille reading system based on electrotactile display technology. The proposed system is composed of a six-channel electrotactile stimulator, a flexible electrode array for Braille display and a graphical user interface (GUI) for monitoring and control. Based on the flexibility of the system, two Braille reading strategies have been designed: spatial mode and sequential mode. The system was preliminary tested by six sighted subjects. The results showed that subjects were able to recognize Braille characters with more than 80% accuracy within less than 10 seconds for the initial use. Compared to existing Braille reading systems, this system is portable, wearable and flexible in control.

Dielectric Elastomer Actuators and Optical Character Recognition in a Braille Display

The purpose of this study was the development and experimental validation of a novel portable tactile braille reading device. This design aimed to address the lack of quality braille reading material in South African schools dedicated to the blind and visually impaired. The design was divided into four subsystems: the actuation of the refreshable braille display, the mechanical design of the hand mounted device, the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software and the electronic control system. The objectives of the study included the design of the electrical, mechanical and software subsystems of the device with emphasis on miniaturisation and a low-cost design, as well as the experimental validation of the haptic feedback and OCR subsystems. The system validation focussed on the experimental analysis of the OCR software design and the Dielectric Elastomer Actuators (DEAs) utilised in the refreshable display. The performance of low-cost elastomer and electrode materials were experimentally assessed during the design of the miniature DEAs. The ideal material combination for the proposed application was identified as a VHB4910 acrylic film lined with MG Chemicals 846 carbon grease. The largest vertical deflections of the diaphragm-type DEA were attained with a stipple-based electrode application, with the elastomer prestrained to 300 % initial area. The OCR program analysis indicated that multiple character recognition was more efficient and less prone to inaccuracies than the initially proposed single character recognition method. The integration of OCR software with miniature DEAs served as a novel approach to text-to-braille transcription.

Shopping When You Are Deafblind: A Pre-Technology Test of New Methods for Face-to-Face Communication—Deafblindness and Face-to-Face Communication

This article presents the first-year results of a project that aimed to explore the feasibility of using a braille display and a smartphone in society to improve face-to-face communication for a person living with deafblindness, using a simulated communication situation. An applied experimental development design was implemented, followed by a pre-test in the community. Two clinicians and an engineer conducted communication tests with three communication partners with normal vision in a shopping mall. A blind clinician acting as deafblind bought an iPhone case and asked for the location of two stores. Communication partners did not report any difficulties, understood the exchanges, and were proud to have helped a person living with deafblindness. No communication breakdowns or keyboard input incidents occurred. Speech turns were not optimal but can be improved. Clinicians proposed a sequence of three training modules: (1) prior knowledge (basic operations for iPhone, software, and braille display), (2) methods for preparing a face-to-face discussion, and (3) processes during a face-to-face discussion. Results demonstrate the feasibility of using a tactile technological solution coupled with a smartphone to interact with unknown interlocutors. Technology trials form the groundwork for a 9-month case study, involving two individuals with deafblindness.

An exploratory study to improve reading and comprehending mathematical expressions in braille

Braille readers read and comprehend mathematical expressions while moving their fingertips over braille characters. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the effect of an intervention that teaches braille readers who use a braille display to use finger movements with a focus on the expression’s mathematical structure. The finger movements involved movements where the two index fingers are about one or two braille cells apart and movements where the index fingers explore different parts of the expression. We investigated to what extent the intervention supports an interplay between finger movements and the expression’s mathematical structure to make the process of calculating the value of an expression easier and to make braille readers more aware of the expression’s structure. Three braille readers, respectively in Grades 7, 8, and 11, received the intervention consisting of five individual lessons. During the pre-, post-, and retention test, the braille readers’ finger movements were video recorded, as well as the time needed to read and process the mathematical tasks. Four expressions were selected for further analysis. The results show that during the posttest, each braille reader required at least 29% less time to read and process the expressions. The retention test results were even better. Scanpaths indicated that braille readers picked up features of mathematical structures more easily after the intervention. Based on our findings, we recommend that braille readers receive lessons in tactile reading strategies that support the reading and processing of mathematical expressions and equations.

Smart Refreshable Braille Display Device Based on Magneto‐Resistive Composite with Triple Shape Memory

AbstractBraille devices made from stimuli‐active polymers have provided a new approach for obtaining information on Braille text. However, it is still essential to find a more convenient and effective method to develop multifunctional Braille devices with shape memory effects to broaden their applications. Here, a novel smart refreshable Braille display based on triple‐shape memory and magnetoresistive composite is developed with the advantages of simple fabrication, multifunctionality, and harmlessness for blind people. The triple shape memory effect enables this device to record the Braille text information and display the text using a complex Braille dot array. The stimuli‐dependent conductivity produces a simultaneous electrical sensing signal when Braille dots are touched, thus the reading areas can be distinguished. Therefore, this multifunctional flexible composite has the potential to realize a refreshable and portable Braille e‐book in the future.

Exploring Correlates of Braille Reading Performance in Working-age and Older Adults with Visual Impairments

ABSTRACT Tactile, motor and cognitive capacities decline with age, but little is known about how this relates to braille reading outcomes. This study investigated correlates of braille reading speed among working-age and older adults. Texts were read in two modes (oral/silent) and two media (paper/electronic braille display) by 46 blind adults (age range 23–88) who learned braille between the ages of 4 and 63. Participants completed demographic questionnaires and tests of tactile acuity, fine-motor dexterity and working-memory. A relationship between decreased performance in tactile sensitivity and increased age was observed, but no relationship between increased age and braille reading speed was found. Active tactile acuity, reading frequency and braille learning age were significantly correlated with braille reading speed. No significant difference based on medium was observed, though silent reading was significantly faster than reading aloud. Findings underscore the importance of providing opportunities for older braille learners to secure training and to have frequent opportunities to practice braille between sessions. Findings also challenge the suggestion that increased age alone will impede braille learning. The most significant barrier faced by older braille learners is not their age, but challenges that could instead be addressed through policy and practice changes.

Investigating comprehension measures of Reading Adventure Time! For improving reading skills

Reading Adventure Time! was designed to support braille reading skills. The education technology tool operates on an Apple iPad using a refreshable braille display and was developed under a United States Federal grant, the Stepping Up Technology program (H327S120007). Forty-nine student/teacher pairs used the app. Students read passages on their braille displays and responded to comprehension questions. Data included reading comprehension scores, accuracy, and reading miscues for each passage read using the app. Students read orally and silently, and passages consisted of both literary and expository literature. Results indicated that comprehension of literary and expository texts was highly positively correlated r(48) = .79, p < .000. Student-participants in the apprentice category answered more questions correctly when reading silently. For students who used rereading as a comprehension strategy, a positive correlation was found between the number of rereads and comprehension. Variables impacting reading comprehension included the level of vision, socioeconomic status, and a preference for print as a reading medium. Overall results indicated that, in general, students’ reading comprehension was a strength. Students’ comprehension at lower grade levels was slightly higher than that in upper grade levels, and comprehension scores were similar for both literary and expository passages at all ages. Students’ comprehension was slightly better when reading orally versus silently. Students used rereading as a strategy to assist with comprehension, although not extensively. The study provides evidence supporting Reading Adventure Time! as a high-tech digital tool supporting literacy skills development in conjunction with literacy instruction.

Anisotropic distortion in the perceived orientation of stimuli on the arm

Mechanoreceptors on the skin are heterogeneously distributed, and the sampling of neural signals in the brain can vary depending on the part of the body. Therefore, it can be challenging for the brain to consistently represent stimuli applied to different body sites. Here, we report an example of a regional perceptual distortion of the tactile space. We used a piezoelectric braille display to examine shape perception on the volar surface of the arm and to compare it to that on the palm. We found that the orientation of perceived stimuli on the arm was distorted in certain areas. In particular, an inwardly-inclined line shape was perceived as being more inwardly-inclined than it actually was. On the other hand, an outwardly-inclined line was perceived accurately. When the same stimuli were applied to the palm, this anisotropic bias was not observed. We also found that changing the posture of the arm changed the angle at which this anisotropic distortion occurred, suggesting the influence of the skin frame of reference on this illusion. This study showed a clear example of how the representation of even simple stimuli is complexly distinct when the stimuli are applied to different body sites.

Multifunctional And Low Cost Braille Display

Braille Display is a device which helps the visually impaired to read a text file in Braille format and as well receive an audio output of the text file. It gives an option to the user whether to receive output in terms of braille or audio. Braille is a tactile writing language of raised dots using which blinds and visually impaired people read and write through touch. The pattern of raised dots can be read with the fingers by blinds. The number and arrangement of these dots forms alphabets, numbers and special characters. The braille output in Braille display is observed in Braille text popper device which is made up of a plate having holes. Solenoids are placed under each hole to raise or lower the braille pin which will emerge through perforations on the top plate to form a Braille dot. The perforations serve as guides for the pins and form six dots which is equivalent to one Braille cell. Raspberry Pi Microcontroller is used to convert the text file into Braille format and thus controls the corresponding solenoid present below each of the holes to either pop up or down the hole by sending signal values to solenoids. Thus the solenoids align themselves based on the input character from the text file . The blinds can feel the sense of touch of the Braille pins that are popped up and they recognize the character accordingly. This way, blinds can recognize character by character. At every iteration, three characters from text file comes out in braille in Braille text popper device. The next button would display next three characters and previous button would display previous three characters. If the user prefers to hear audio, then it would give audio output of the text file through ear phones. Thus, the device facilitates the user either to read the text in braille or to hear the text as audio making it multifunctional.

The Study of Russian as a Foreign Language for English-Speaking Braille Readers Using the Job Access With Speech or NonVisual Desktop Access Screen Reader and a Refreshable Braille Display

The Study of Russian as a Foreign Language for English-Speaking Braille Readers Using the Job Access With Speech or NonVisual Desktop Access Screen Reader and a Refreshable Braille Display

Teachers’ Skills and Knowledge in Mathematics Education for Braille Readers

Braille readers use a braille display and text-to-speech synthesizer while reading and comprehending mathematical expressions and equations. Teachers need to have technological, pedagogical and content (TPACK) knowledge and skills for exploiting the potential of these devices in mathematics education. They have to understand how the use of assistive technology influences the teaching and learning of mathematics. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to support teachers to better understand the dynamic relation between the different TPACK domains. That is why a professional development course was developed in which five mathematics teachers of braille readers in special secondary education participated. The development of the teachers’ TPACK knowledge was analyzed, and course characteristics that helped to develop this knowledge were identified. The results show an increased awareness of the importance of assistive devices, but only a small positive effect in TPACK knowledge and skills. Course activities related to the braille display, the mathematical braille notation and mathematical vocabulary helped to develop TPACK knowledge. However, course activities related to the text-to-speech synthesizer and working in heterogeneous groups did not work out so well. A better understanding of what teaching mathematics to braille readers means is expected to improve their learning.

Refreshable Braille Module Using Cam Actuated Mechanism

Less than 3% of 145 million blind people in developing countries at present are literate [1]. At present, in most of the cases, speech output has been the medium for blind people to access materials. For content which require deep understanding such as technical texts etc., it is not an appropriate modality, moreover blind people are more accustomed to braille transcripts and adaptability issues to all audio resources is difficult. And thus, arises the need for a cheap, easily adaptable, less complex solution to the problem. Braille points are varied arrangements of raised dots representing characters which are identified by touch by visually impaired people. Here we discuss in detail, development of a dynamic/refresh-able Braille display which presents Braille points by the up-and-down movement of pins using a completely new, first of its kind, Cam actuated mechanism with just two actuation points instead of a standard 6 used by every single refresh-able braille board in the world at present. Two nested shafts having 8 arrays of precisely calculated and placed cam, each were responsible for keeping the pins in up and down state. The shafts were actuated using two micro-servo motors placed next to each other. X degree rotation of servo after transmission through gear and subsequently shaft resulted in a particular configuration. Henceforth calibration was done so that all braille alphabet could be produced with specific servo rotations.

A 2D Refreshable Braille Display Based on a Stiffness Variable Polymer and Pneumatic Actuation.

Visual impairments limit a person's ability to process information such as obstacles, environments, reading and especially multimedia content (e.g., photographs and videos). In this work, we present the design and operating mechanism of Braille PolyPad, a prototype 2D refreshable braille display featuring 4×10 braille cells, enabling the transformation of images to 2D braille information. The Braille Polypad is based on a miniature pump enabled pneumatic actuation of Braille pins. The encoder transformed the pattern information to a heating circuits to trigger the softening of a stiffness variable polymer, allowing for large pneumatic actuation in the softened pin area. The braille pattern can switch on and off in 0.5s each regardless of the number of braille cells and pins, with low operation voltage and low power consumption. The technical features in this work could enable low-cost, large-size matrix refreshable braille displays in compact form factor. Full development of the prototype device is still ongoing, including materials optimization, actuation uniformity, and improvement of user-friendly control interface.

Exploring the influence of reading medium on braille learning outcomes: A case series of six working-age and older adults

Tactile sensitivity is known to decline with age. Braille provides a vital method of reading and writing for working-age and older adults with acquired visual impairment. The proliferation of low-cost braille displays raises new possibilities for adult braille learners, with dots of greater height than standard paper braille, potentially benefitting older adults with reduced tactile sensitivity. This study explored the influence of reading medium (paper vs braille display) on the accuracy and speed of six working-age and older adult braille learners and examined differences when transitioning from one reading medium to another. Findings indicate that (1) learning letters on a braille display resulted in better speed and accuracy (time: M = 44.2, SD = 37.3, accuracy: M = 83%, SD = 24.8%) than on paper (time: M = 54.3, SD = 40.4, accuracy: M = 80.6%, SD = 28.1%); (2) transitioning from one medium to another generally resulted in the same or better performance (reading times decreased by 11.2% and accuracy improved by 2.4%); and (3) the advantage of the braille display appears to be greatest when reading letters in combination (reading times decreased by 26.8% and accuracy improved by 6.5% for letter-pairs vs a 1.9% reduction in speed and a 2% improvement in accuracy for single letters). The benefit of the braille display condition was most pronounced for participants with reduced tactile sensitivity. Although preliminary, these findings suggest that the use of braille displays in early braille instruction may decrease frustration for those with reduced tactile sensitivity and should not adversely affect the ability for learners to transition to standard paper braille, assuming that both formats are introduced and reinforced throughout training.

On the Formulation and Functioning of a Micro Haptics Actuator Based Unit Braille Display Cell

Aims: The article focusses on the working principle of devising a display board and introduction to a working model of a single unit of a novel prototype of a computer display board for blind people. Objective: The developed prototype is aimed at converting a conventional computer screen to a braille screen based tactile display board. The arrangement will enable the blind people to accesses soft data as a converted braille language text. In addition, the position of the write-up will also be recognizable by the blind. Methods: The system employs six number of micro linear actuators providing haptics feedback. Results: The ABCD display unit was tested with the blind and was found to be received well by the community. According to the survey, this raised dot mechanism is very effective for blind communication.

BrailleRing: a flexible Braille display

Abstract The “BrailleRing” is a refreshable Braille display that allows blind people to read tactile characters on the inside of a rotating ring. Dots are not displayed by moving pins, but by fixed patterns on rotating cuboids. The concept allows for a flexible line-length as well as for a more robust and easy-to-clean device, because it needs far fewer actuators than piezo-electric Braille displays, and these actuators are mechanically isolated from the Braille cells.

Multiline Braille display construction model

The paper describes the problem of a multiline Braille display construction design. The bipolar two-phase step motors with planetary gear box and helical gear are used as actuators. Unlike widely used analogues, the mechanism model has a remarkable constructive feature, providing the use of a smaller number of actuators than the number of actuated Braille dots. It is achieved by means of fixing each dot in certain position by a mechanical element (fixator). Even if power supply is interrupted, the information displayed does not disappear. The actuators require power supply only when changing the dot state, that gives the possibility to reduce electricity consumption. The proposed display model differs from the existing ones by the ability to display more than one line simultaneously (any given number of lines). The page is updated line by line. At this, each dot is fixed mechanically due to the use of multi-channel communication system. Three-dimensional model of the multi-line Braille display is designed.

A passive and scalable magnetic mechanism for braille cursor, an innovative refreshable braille display

In this work, we present the design and experimental analysis of a novel mechanism for a refreshable braille display (RBD). It implements a single actuated slider for refreshing braille cells composed of simple and passive ferromagnetic pins. The approach potentially decouples the cost of the final device from the number of braille cells and pins. In this work, we present the rationale of the actuating method and a design solution implemented in a working prototype of the mechanism. Experimental characterization supported by FEM analysis provided a clearer view of the interacting forces and dynamics of the tactile pins refreshing cycle, and allowed to improve calibration and performance with respect to previous preliminary results. Such knowledge can be transferred to full-size refreshable braille display prototypes. A final cost and scalability analysis, and comparison with conventional RBDs devices highlights limits and potentials of the proposed method, in particular for implementation of large RBDs and tactile matrices.