SBIR Phase II: Assistive Reading Device for Persons with Disabilities

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop an assistive reading device for persons with disabilities. The device, an electromechanical page turner, will serve to automate the mechanical tasks associated with page turning, an important ancillary process of reading. With the touch of a button/pedal, the page turner will automatically grab the next page of a book, turn it, and keep the book opened flat during the entire process. In the prior Phase I work, a novel turnstile design was introduced, and data was collected on bending stiffness, static and dynamic coefficients of friction, and the mechanical characteristics of paper. The Phase II project will integrate the Phase I results into an engineering effort to optimize the design and improve the performance and reliability of the page turner. The commercial application of this project will be in the area of assistive technologies for people with disabilities, the elderly, musicians, and avid readers.