Braille Display
... So you can expect this page to be replaced with a whole new site in the coming months.
The aim of the this project is, suprisingly, to produce an inexpensive braille cell display; ideally one that will, as above, retail at or under £300.
According to John Gill, head of the science division of the RNIB, "There is an unmet need for an inexpensive easy-to-use reliable braille display". And he's right, too. A quick miander around the market reveals the astonishingly high prices blind users are expected to pay in order to be able to read braille from a computer.
These prices are consequences of the mechanical complexity of current models. While there has been various attempts in the past to upgrade the hardware so it can be produced more cheaply, thus far all attempts have failed to make it past either patent or prototype stage. And for a very simple reason. Technologies explored or sponsored by institutions such as Texas Institute, Stanford Research Institute and IBM include;
The simple reason being that the new technological solutions were not simple, they were in fact more complex than the problem. By contrast, this project intends to use just four electric motors. In a box.
As of June 2010, work is beginning on the third prototype, which will be the first intended to be more than a simple demonstration of principle. Also, I'm working on a document which will give a far more thorough understanding of the project.
If you are interested in finding out more then I recommend reading the Drobe article on the subject, though please don't hesitate to contact me personally with any queries you may have, as I shall be happy to answer them.
