Refreshable Braille Display Research Articles

3D-Printed Models for Optimizing Tactile Braille & Shape Display.

Existing market-available refreshable Braille displays (RBDs) offer limited functionality at a high cost, hindering accessibility for individuals with blindness and visual impairment for teaching and learning purposes. This motivates us to develop a multi-functional, compact, and affordable RBD tailored for educational institutes to enhance teaching and learning experiences. We propose the development of BLISS (Braille Letters and Interactive Shape Screen), a novel RBD, that BLISS presents a unique configuration arrangement of Braille cells that accommodates up to six letters at a time and shapes by reusing the Braille pins. To determine the optimal specifications, including size, Braille cell spacing, and pin configuration, we fabricated and evaluated 3D-printed sets, mimicking how BLISS would display letters and shapes. We tested 36 variants of 3D-printed sets with 8 individuals with blindness and visual impairment and found that conventional Braille spacing is insufficient for accurately representing shapes. Hence, BLISS will introduce a novel design that uses a pin configuration to raise the extra pins to present shapes and lower them for Braille letters, providing dual-mode operation. Our findings show the potential of BLISS to display both Braille letters and shapes on the same refreshable display, offering a novel, compact, and cost-effective solution.

Deformable Joule heating electrode based on hybrid layers of silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes and its application in a refreshable multi-cell Braille display.

Stretchable electrodes are an essential component in soft actuator systems. In particular, Joule heating electrodes (JHEs) are required for thermal actuation systems. A highly stretchable, patternable, and low-voltage operating JHE based on hybrid layers of silver nanowires (AgNWs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is reported. The conductive layers were applied on a locally pre-strained bistable electroactive polymer (BSEP) membrane to form a wrinkled conductive surface with a low resistance of 300 Ω/sq, and subsequently patterned to a serpentine trace by laser engraving. The resistance of the resulting electrode remains nearly unchanged up to ~80-90% area strain. By applying a voltage of 7 - 9 V to the electrode, the temperature of the BSEP membrane increased to more than 60 °C, well above the polymer's phase transition temperature of 46 °C, thereby lowering its modulus by a factor of 103. An electronic Braille device based on the JHEs on a BSEP membrane was assembled with a diaphragm chamber. The electrode was patterned into 3 × 2 individually addressable pixels according to the standard U.S. Braille cell format. Through Joule heating of the pixels and local expansion of the BSEP membrane using a small pneumatic pressure, the pixels deformed out of the plane by over 0.5 mm to display specific Braille letters. The Braille content can be refreshed for 20,000 cycles at the same operating voltage.

Raspberry Pi based OCR implementation in multi-line refreshable braille display device

This work proposes an unique hardware design for a multi-line Refreshable Braille Display (RBD) device using Imprint Punch Head Technology with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities for learning and reading text in Braille codes. The device uses a microprocessor board to seamlessly integrate stepper/servo motors with OCR algorithms. A thin flexible metal sheet coated with rubber is used as a display surface on which the raised points for Braille codes are repeatedly formed and deformed. The device is designed in such a way that the material used for its construction are low cost which makes them economical and affordable. The device was evaluated in the lab setup and showed promising results, and had prospects of becoming a vital Assistive Technology for vision impaired people.

Development and Evaluation of Refreshable Braille Display and Active Touch-Reading System for Digital Reading of the Visually Impaired.

The traditional way of reading through Braille books is constraining the reading experience of blind or visually impaired (BVI) in the digital age. In order to improve the reading convenience of BVI, this paper proposes a low-cost and refreshable Braille display device, and solves the problems of high energy consumption and low latching force existing in existing devices. Further, the Braille display device was combined with the 3D Systems Touch device to develop an active Braille touch-reading system for digital reading of BVI with the help of the CHAI3D virtual environment. Firstly, according to the actual needs of BVI to touch and read the Braille dots, this paper utilizes the beam structure to provide a full latching function for the raised Braille dot without energy consumption. Through theoretical derivation and finite element analysis, the performance of the Braille dot actuator is optimized to provide sufficient feedback force and latching force for finger's touch-reading. Then, this paper designs a virtual Braille interactive environment based on the CHAI3D, and combines the sense of touch with audio to effectively improve the recognition accuracy and reading efficiency of BVI for Braille through the multi-modal presentation of Braille information. The performance test results of the device show that the average lifting force of the Braille dot actuator is 101.67 mN, the latching force is over 5 N, and the average refresh frequency is 17.1 Hz, which meets the touch-reading needs of BVI. User experiments show that the average accuracy rate of BVI subjects in identifying digitized Braille is 95.5%, and subjects have a high subjective evaluation of the system.

Design & Fabrication of a Cost-effective, Refreshable Mechanical Braille Display for Visually Impaired Students in Bangladesh

Design & Fabrication of a Cost-effective, Refreshable Mechanical Braille Display for Visually Impaired Students in Bangladesh

Familiarity and understanding of assistive technology among visually impaired users of libraries of special institutes of Haryana, India

PurposeAssistive technology (AT) is like the eyes of visually impaired users (VIUs) and plays a vital role in making them independent in accessing a wide range of library resources and services. It is a revolutionary way to improve the academic performance of VIUs and amalgamate them into mainstream library services. This paper aims to explore the familiarity and understanding of AT among VIUs in accessing library resources and services of three special institutes of Haryana state, India.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a survey method, and data were collected using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions focused on participants’ familiarity, understanding and key barriers VIUs face in accessing existing AT facilities. Scope of the study is to include three special institutions’ libraries serving to VIUs in Haryana (India). Purposive sampling technique was adopted for data collection. The data are tabulated and analyzed with descriptive statistics methods using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20.0, and the results are presented in tables, diagrams and graphs.FindingsThe study found that most of the VIUs are highly familiar and reported an expert understanding of Daisy player and digital voice recorder, whereas refreshable Braille display, Braille printer/embosser and scanning and reading devices are least familiar with and reported poor understanding. In the software category, it is noted that VIUs are more familiar with screen reading and speech synthesizer software than other software, and participants confirmed a good understanding of the said software.Practical implicationsThe literature review revealed that the majority of library staff in the institutions being investigated had limited knowledge about the availability of the most suitable AT tools. So, the study will be beneficial for them to select the most popular AT tools for their libraries to amalgamate VIUs. The study also highlights some barriers VIUs face in using the existing AT facility of their respective libraries that may be helpful for librarians to understand the root cause of low utilization of available AT tools and how to address this problem effectively. The study can also help policymakers in formulating AT policies for academic libraries. Findings will also help to develop a cost-effective AT workstation suiting the needs of VIUs.Originality/valueThis study will provide an idea to library professionals about which AT hardware and software are more popular among VIUs and useful for developing/improving cutting-edge AT facilities in their libraries to amalgamate VIUs in the mainstream of the library.

Speed and Accuracy Measures of School-Age Readers With Visual Impairments Using a Refreshable Braille Display

This study provides information on the use of a refreshable braille display in relation to reading speeds and accuracy for students with visual impairments. The characteristics and variables which were statistically significant predictors of reading speed were explored. Forty-nine students in grades 1–9 participated with their teachers of students with visual impairments. In this 16-week study participants used the Reading Adventure Time! app to complete a pretest, intervention, and eight progress monitoring checks. Using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analyses the researchers found silent reading speeds averaged 16.80 WPM at grades 1–2, 46.43 WPM at grades 3–4, 46.12 WPM at grades 5–6, and 50.51 WPM at grades 7–9. Oral reading speeds averaged 18.37 WPM at grades 1–2, 49.05 WPM at grades 3–4, 45.62 WPM at grades 5–6, and 45.82 WPM at grades 7–9. On average, there were few miscues for participants at all grade levels. Statistically significant predictors of reading speed included the number of braille cells on the refreshable braille display, the proportion of students receiving free and reduced lunch recipients, time spent in literacy instruction with the general education teacher, and whether the student was a dual braille and print reader. Reading speeds were comparable to those found in studies which examined reading paper-based formats. The most common statistically significant predictor of reading speed was the number of cells on the refreshable braille display. Wise decisions about the types of refreshable displays used can potentially make a difference in students’ reading speeds.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

A Survey on Tactile Displays For Visually Impaired People

Traditional paper documents with Braille characters and tangible graphics have obvious defects to disseminate knowledge in the information age. Information accessibility is an urgent challenge for blind individuals. Although many types of tactile displays were created for different applications, we especially focus on the tactile display for visually impaired people, which can dynamically generate tangible graphics and Braille characters, to help the blind obtain information conveniently. In this article, we present the state-of-the-art of graphic tactile displays (GTDs) and refreshable Braille displays (RBDs), then discuss their common kernel technologies about actuators and latch structures. This article summarizes the performance of typical actuators of tactile displays and analyzes the working principles of some latch structures. This article systematically summarizes latch structures of GTDs and RBDs, for the first time. Several comments in this paper will be useful to develop high-performance tactile displays for visually impaired people.

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.

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.

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.

An innovative idea for low cost Braille e-reader

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to implement the rotating cubes for designing the Braillerefreshable display. The rotating cube Braille display has many benefits i.e., compact size, low cost etc. Methods/Statistical analysis: refreshable Braille display is an electro mechanical device which forms Braille charactersby raising pins through holes on flat surface. The raising of such pins is accomplished by complex and costly systems like solenoids or piezo-electric crystals or EAP (Electro Active Polimer). We developed the prototype of e-book reader, which is a low cost electro mechanical system aimed at assisting visually impaired to access the e-books. Findings: Many design concepts were proposed earlier and prototypes were built, and were tested successfully in thepast by using three simple rotating cubes. The main parameters like dot spacing, overall dimension, touching force and operating voltage obtained are discussed. Dot spacing 2.5 [mm] with reference to International standard has been maintained. Regarding overall dimension, the display unit is designed to have dimension of 120mm width to 150mm height adhering to NLS standard of Braille dot spacing, and the tactile surface will feature 13 lines with 14 characters per line. The touching force of 0.32N and operating voltage below 25 V was obtained and used. Novelty/Applications: The Solenoid is used for positioning the faces of individual cubes, which can be arranged in different positions thereby forming all Braille characters. The high power consumption which remained the major head ache in solenoid electromagnetic actuator models was a major challenge we faced initially, which we overcame with our unique innovative design combining cubes that can rotate to form Braille dots and electromagnetic actuator which can be positioned at various places to run this cubes. So Keeping Occam\'s Razor Principle in mind, we went ahead to design a multicell/multi-line electronic refreshable Braille display as a technology demonstrator by using three simple rotating cubes. Keywords: Braille cell; Rotating cubes; Actuators; Refreshable Braille displays

Investigating the Efficacy of Reading Adventure Time! for Improving Reading Skills in Children with Visual Impairments

Introduction: Reading Adventure Time!, formerly known as the pilot version of the iBraille Challenge Mobile App, is an educational technology tool integrating digital literacy to support braille reading and writing instruction for students in 1st–12th grades. Designed to operate on an Apple iPad with a refreshable braille display, Reading Adventure Time! uses gaming strategies to motivate students to improve literacy skills such as fluency, comprehension, writing dictation, and proofreading. Methods: The application (app) was developed under a Stepping Up Technology grant (H327S120007), which was disseminated to more than 50 teachers and students. Teachers and caregivers completed a Likert-type scale of technology skills as a pre- and postmeasure. Students’ reading speed, comprehension, and miscues were measured by the app. Results: Over 50 participants who used the app showed gains in reading and technology skills. Discussion: Students’ reading speeds, as measured by the app, mirror the reading speeds found in prior research (e.g., the ABC Braille Study). The impact on technology skills for teachers, caregivers, and students was much greater than anticipated. Implications for practitioners: The study provides evidence supporting Reading Adventure Time! as a supplemental intervention that addresses several reading skills and may be used in conjunction with a total, balanced literacy program.

Design and Validation of the Readable Device: A Single-Cell Electromagnetic Refreshable Braille Display.

Blindness represents one of the major disabling societal causes, impacting the life of visually impaired people and their families. For what concerns the access to written information, one of the main tools used by blind people is the traditional Braille code. This is the reason why in the recent years, there has been a technological effort to develop refreshable Braille devices. These consist of multiple physical dots that dynamically change their configuration to reproduce different sequences of the letters in Braille code. Although promising, these approaches have many drawbacks, which are mainly related to costs, design complexity, portability, and power consumption. Of note, while many solutions have been proposed for multi-cell devices, the investigation of the potentialities of single-cell refreshable systems has received little attention so far. This investigation could offer effective and viable manners to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, likely fostering a widespread adoption of such assistive technologies with end-users. In this article, we present the design and characterization of a new cost-effective single-cell Electromagnetic Refreshable Braille Display, the Readable system. We also report on tests performed with blindfolded and blind expert Braille code readers. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of our device in correctly reproducing alphanumeric content, opening promising perspectives in every-day life applications.