SBIR Phase II: Full-Page Electronic Braille Display

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project plans to develop an affordable device that will allow the visually handicapped community to access digital information in a robust format comparable to a mobile tablet computer. Current embodiments of this technology use 40 year old technology that cannot scale beyond two lines of text, consume significant amounts of power, and are prohibitively expensive when using more than a single line. This Phase II project will focus on establishing a mechanical Braille cell module using the polymer-based single dot actuator successfully developed in the Phase I project as the foundation for a multiline display. The primary technical challenges to be addressed are achieving the mechanistic and electrical requirements while maintaining low production costs. Thus, this project has three primary objectives that build on the single-dot actuator: (a) construction and testing of 1- and 6-dot prototypes that meet technical requirements, (b) construction of an 8-dot Braille cell and demonstration electronics and software, and (c) assembly of a short line of Braille text to demonstrate the cells perform as expected when arrayed in the anticipated display format. Additionally, PBI has the access to technical facilities and knowledge to successfully perform the Phase II. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that the visually handicapped community, 1.3-2 Million individuals, does not have access to an affordable device comparable to a modern a mobile tablet or computer display. This severely limits the ability of this community to access digital information and dramatically impacts literacy levels, STEM-related education, and employment. The currently available piezo-electric technology is prohibitively expensive and cannot display more than 2 lines at once. This makes it unsuitable for use with mathematical equations, images, and other larger-scale digital information. The affordable device developed using this Phase II funding will use a novel polymer technology to display several lines of Braille text at once. In addition to allowing the visually handicapped community to participate more fully in this digital age, the development of this device will change the way complex, multi-line information is disseminated. Braille literature is significantly larger than traditional. For example, the King James Bible weighs 64lbs, takes up 60 inches of shelf space 12 inches x 12 inches and costs $342. This technology is expected to impact multiple industries such as call centers, libraries, digital content providers, STEM, business, print media, and anywhere modern users benefit from digital content.