Braille System Research Articles

다목적 시각 언어 시스템을 이용한 원스텝 모바일 쇼핑

In this paper designed One-Step mobile shopping system using Multipurpose Visual Language System(MVLS). MVLS is based on braille system, and list this to a square color box. This is can accomplish convenience of use and encipherment of fundamental personal information. Also, this system has advantage to fast communication speed because that has little size packets. Planed system does and fit this in shopping to graft together mobile-phone that the such MVLS and most of internal adult are possessing. User can more fast finish shopping just photographing and press the button that show on TV or PC monitor and printed materials etc. by camera of mobile phone.

62 anos de inclusão do deficiente visual

In the occasion of 200 years world commemoration of the Braille system creator birth, the emeritus and lifelong president of Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos, who has worked for more than 60 years for the social inclusion of the visually impaired individuals in Brazil and elected last year by Forbes Magazine as one of the most influent women in this country, tells us about her life in this testimonial for revista Comunicação & Educação. Fundação Dorina Nowill para Cegos is the major publisher of Braille books in Brazil. It produces books on Literature, Textbooks, Music Scores, among other materials. In2007, it reached the impressive production of 33 million pages of Braille. Books published by that organization are freely distributed for visually impaired individuals and more than 1.650 organizations, such as schools, universities, and associations.

Biography of Louis Braille and Invention of the Braille Alphabet

Louis Braille (1809–1852) was born in France. At the age of three, he wounded his right eye with a cobbler's tool while playing in his father's workshop. No medical knowledge could save his eyesight at that time. Louis's left eye became inflamed, apparently due to subsequent sympathetic ophthalmia, and he eventually lost the sight in that eye. At the age of five, Louis Braille was completely blind. He is considered to be the inventor of a writing system by touch that bears his name, the Braille system. This revolutionary system has allowed blind people to access written culture, and it can therefore be considered a major advance in the quality of life for the blind. The immediate precursor of the invention of the Braille system was the alphabet created by Charles Barbier de la Serre (1767–1841) who created a language by touch designed for military and secret use. Louis Braille modified this alphabet into the Braille alphabet, which is practically the same one that is currently used. It required time to be recognized and to be implemented as a reading and writing method for blind people throughout the world. In 1950, UNESCO effectively universalized the Braille alphabet, and in 2005 it recognized Braille system as a “vital language of communication, as legitimate as all other languages in the world.”

A Bi-directional Bi-Lingual Translation Braille-Text System

Visually impaired people are an integral part of the society. However, their disabilities have made them to have less access to computers, the Internet, and high quality educational software than the people with clear vision. Consequently, they have not been able to improve on their own knowledge, and have significant influence and impact on the economic, commercial, and educational ventures in the society. One way to narrow this widening gap and see a reversal of this trend is to develop a system, within their economic reach, and which will empower them to communicate freely and widely using the Internet or any other information infrastructure. Over time, the Braille system has been used by the visually impaired for communication and contact with the outside world. Translation between one language and another, using the Braille coding system, has been limited, problematic, and in many cases, one-directional.This paper describes an Arabic Braille bi-directional and bi-lingual translation/editor system that does not need expensive equipments. With appropriate rule file for any other languages, this system can be generalized to facilitate communication among literate people regardless of their disabilities (visually impaired or sighted), income, languages, and geographical locations.

Touching force response of the piezoelectric Braille cell

Purpose. The objective of this research is to investigate dynamic responses of the piezoelectric Braille cell when it is subjected to both electrical signal and touching force.Method. Physical behavior of the piezoelectric actuator inside the piezoelectric Braille cell is analyzed. The mathematical model of the piezoelectric Braille system is presented. Then, data of visually impaired people using a Braille Note is studied as design information and a reference input for calculation of the piezoelectric Braille response under the touching force.Results. The results show dynamic responses of the piezoelectric Braille cell. The designed piezoelectric bimorph has a settling time of 0.15 second. The relationship between the Braille dot height and applied voltage is linear. The behavior of the piezoelectric Braille dot when it is touched during operation shows that the dot height is decreased as the force increases.Conclusions. The result provides understanding of the piezoelectric Braille cell behavior under both touching force and electrical excitation simultaneously. This is the important issue for the design and development of piezoelectric Braille cells in senses of controlling Braille dot displacement or force-feedback in the future.

O-100: Improved blastocyst development with microfluidics and Braille pin actuator enabled dynamic culture

Preimplantation embryo development within the oviduct occurs in chemically and mechanically dynamic microenvironments, whereas current culture conditions are volumetrically supra-physiological, chemically static and stationary. While composition of media to support embryo culture has advanced, growth rates and quality continue to lag significantly behind in vivo development. Objectives were to develop an in vivo-like culture system using microfluidics and to test influences of microenvironment and dynamic media flow on embryo development. Animal-model experiments. A microfluidic device made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was designed to control precisely fluid flow inside elastomeric capillary networks by using multiple computer-controlled, piezoelectric, movable pins. These pins were positioned as a grid on a refreshable Braille unit. Each pin acted as a valve and shifted upward to push against channels. Adjacent pins moved in sequence to create fluid movement within channels allowing computer-controlled variations in flow patterns and rates. Denuded zygotes from B6C3F1 females were placed into 10μl of Potassium Simplex Optimized Medium + 0.1% Serum Substitute Supplement and overlaid with mineral oil in organ culture dishes or PDMS chips. Zygotes/embryos were cultured for 96h in a humidified environment of 5% CO2 in air at 37°C in organ culture dishes (OC-control) and PDMS chips without media movement (PDMS-control); and in PDMS chips with an applied Braille system with 3 different flow conditions: back and forth 0.1Hz (B/F0.1 - slow), flow-through 3.3Hz (FT3.3 - fast), and flow-through 0.1Hz (FT0.1 - slow). As an in vivo-control, blastocysts were collected from uteri corresponding to 96h culture. Embryos were evaluated for blastocyst development and total cell count using Hoechst staining. Cell count was assessed in a treatment-blinded fashion by two individuals. Parametric and nonparametric statistics were performed with ANOVA/unpaired t-test or χ-square, respectively. Total blastocyst development from zygotes was not significantly different between culture conditions (OC-control, n=62, 95%; PDMS-control, n=60, 95%; B/F0.1, n=39, 97%; FT3.3, n=51, 98%; FT0.1, n=41, 95%). Hatching/hatched blastocyst development rate from microfluidic dynamic culture (B/F0.1, 56%; FT3.3, 57%; FT0.1, 71%) was significantly greater (P<0.01) than OC-control (31%) and PDMS-control (23%). This enhanced development under microfluidic dynamic conditions was corroborated by blastocyst cell count. Total blastocyst cell counts were not significantly different between microfluidic dynamic culture conditions (B/F0.1, 110±7; mean±SE; FT3.3, 104±5; FT0.1, 109±5) but were significantly (P<0.01) elevated compared to controls (OC-control, 67±3; PDMS-control, 60±3). Blastocyst cell counts following microfluidic dynamic culture more closely mirrored results obtained from in vivo-grown blastocysts (144±9). A microfluidic dynamic culture system for embryo growth has been developed. These experiments demonstrate the importance of physical/mechanical environment on embryo development. Microfluidic devices, which allow media movement in a supportive microenvironment, enhance embryo development and quality, and result in embryos that more closely resemble those that develop in vivo.

Utilização de recursos ópticos e equipamentos por escolares com deficiência visual

To verify perceptions and conduct of students with visual impairment regarding devices and equipment utilized in schooling process. A transversal descriptive study on a population of 12-year-old or older students in schooling process, affected by congenital or acquired visual impairment, inserted in the government teaching system of Campinas during the year 2000. An interview quiz, created based on an exploratory study was applied. A group of 26 students, 46% of them with low vision and 53.8% affected by blindness was obtained. Most of the students were from fundamental teaching courses (65.4%), studying in schools with classrooms provided with devices (73.1%). Among the resources used in reading and writing activities, 94.1% of the students reported they used the Braille system and 81.8% reported that the reading subject was dictated by a colleague. Most of the students with low vision wore glasses (91.7%), and 33.3% utilized a magnifying glass as optical devices. Among the non-optical devices, the most common were the environmental ones, getting closer to the blackboard (75.0%) and to the window (66.7%) for better lighting. It became evident that students with low vision eye-sight made use of devices meant for bearers of blindness, such as applying the Braille system. A reduced number of low vision students making use of optical and non-optical devices applicable to their problems were observed, indicating a probable unawareness of their visual potential and the appropriate devices to improve efficiency.

Building a pedagogy around action and emotion: experiences of Blind Opera of Kolkata

Contemporary knowledge systems have given too much importance to visual symbols, the written word for instance, as the repository of knowledge. The primacy of the written word and the representational world built around it is, however, under debate—especially from recent insights derived from cognitive science that seeks to bring back action, intent and emotion within the core of cognitive science (Freeman and Nunez in J Consciousness Stud 6(11/12), 1999). It is being argued that other sensory experiences, apart from the visual, along with desires (or intent) and emotions—like pain, pleasure, sorrow or joy—constitute equally important building blocks that shape an individual’s cognition of the world around. This multi-sensory cognition colored by emotions inspire action and hence is valid knowledge. This is probably nowhere more apparent than in the world of the visually impaired. Deprived of visual sensory capability, they have to perforce depend on other senses. But the dominant discourse in wider society plays a major role in determining what they (the blind) can do. A society built around visual symbols and the written word underplays other elements of cognition and in the process undervalues them. This also gets reflected in the construction of social artifacts of various kinds, such as the educational certification system (The Braille system is an attempt to make the written world accessible to the blind through tactile signals—so that words are ‘felt’ and ‘read.’ But it is quite cumbersome. For instance, even a blind highly skilled at writing in Braille would not be able to match the writing speed of an ordinary visually endowed literate person. Effective and efficient computer-based voice–text–voice converters might solve this problem better.)-based primarily on skills over the written word. Linguistic ability becomes most valuable and at another level the written word gets salience over the spoken word. The blind hardly has a chance, therefore, except through concessions or piety. A practice built around the imagery of an empowered blind person, therefore, must depart from mainstream conceptualization—for power is derived from what one has rather than from what one lacks. It must begin by tapping and valorizing one’s own endowments. This paper is an attempt to identify such a departure based on the experience of Blind Opera—a theatre group of the blind working in Kolkata, India. It seeks to provide an exposition in written word of an experience that can only be partially captured within the confines of a text. It is an incomplete account, therefore, and may be taken as an attempt to reach out and seek an exchange of experiences and insights.

1P1-C11 唾液による健康診断システム : 唾液の採取と希釈方法の開発

The typical sample used to examine health examination is blood and urine. However, it is difficult to gather these samples in large quantities and becomes a big stress for the human body. In addition, the examination system also has some problems such as "Long reactive time", "Single performance examination", and "Use of a large-scale device and tool". Therefore, we propose three methods of the solution for the problems. These are (1)The use of a saliva for the sample. (2)The use of micro reactor system. (3)The use of immunoassay for detecting method. In this study, we establish the method of easy-handing chip of Saliva acquisition and dilution system on microchip. And the dilution system uses the Braille system as actuator of the system. In this year, we study the two systems as independent systems. But in the future, the two systems and reactor system are in one automated system. So for one important purpose, the designs of those systems should have adjustment to automation.

3-D Convex Outputs for the Blind - Image Quality Analysis

One of the means by which the blind communicate with the environment is text information in the Braille system and convex graphical images printed on the paper. Printing and reading 3-D images is of a special significance in the process of educating the blind. It is also used in any contact of the blind with the literature, in every-day life (e.g. convex guidebooks) and professional life (letters, documents, etc.).Because of a high diversification of the perception abilities of the blind as well as widespread application of the convex printings, the role of evaluating their quality becomes more significant. Quantitative measurements of the image quality of the convex printouts may be also used for evaluation of printing and copying devices.In the paper one analysed the main techniques of making 3-D printouts and copies for the blind. In the paper one proposed parameters for evaluating the quality of convex images and methodology of measuring them. One provided also preliminary results of measurements of these parameters. Results of the works carried out can be a basis for developing design of devices for printing in the Braille system and for convex copying.

Suggestions for Refining the Chinese Braille System

Readers of Chinese braille need an efficient system of sound-generated braille and an opportunity to gain access to the character structure. This article presents a brief history of the Chinese braille system and the Chinese character structure, discusses the present Chinese sound-generated braille system and its limitations, and proposes some refinements of the present system and some techniques for instruction.

Hemispheric specialization for language in the congenitally blind: The influence of the Braille system

The functional cerebral organization of two groups of congenitally blind persons of different age and schooling was studied by testing their dichotic listening to pairs of digits. The younger congenitally blind group showed a comparable level of performance to their control counterparts; however, older subjects shifted their initial right ear advantage to an increased left ear performance as they progressed in the mastery of the Braille system. As this system is founded on spatial strategies, we can concluded that this shift is related to the activation of some right hemispheric linguistic mechanisms.

Reviewing the New Braille Code

The following summary is intended to acquaint braille readers and transcribers with the significant changes in the braille system. It does not include all of the major rule changes designed primarily for uniformity of embossing. These may be found in the official code manual, published in braille and inkprint editions by the American Printing House for the Blind, 1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville 6, Kentucky.

The teaching of mathematics to the blind

Those who have sight will always marvel at how the blind learn mathematics and all Will be glad to know how recent improvements in the Braille system facilitates the study of mathematics by the blind.