Researchers Develop ‘Braille Kindle’ For Blind People
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| Image credit: University of Michigan |
A braille e-reader could make reading complex text easier for blind and partially sighted people.
Developed
by researchers at the University of Michigan, the prototype device
features refreshable pages with raised bumps that can be read by touch.
First developed in the 1800s, the braille alphabet is a tactile writing system that uses raised dots to form letters.
Though
traditionally written on embossed paper, braille has also been used on
electronic displays in the past, however they have tended to be limited
by the amount of information they can display at one time.
Many exiting displays are limited to just one line.
Existing technology is also prohibitively expensive for most braille readers.
The
Michigan group’s new technology involves a pneumatic system that can
use either air or fluid to push up tiny plastic pins to form braille
letters.
The next hurdle is fitting the technology into an affordable gadget.
The
project is due to run until September, with the researchers hoping that
the new technology will open up a wider range of documents for braille
readers, such as graphs and spreadsheets.
Courtesy: Yahoo!
