Researchers Develop ‘Braille Kindle’ For Blind People

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.

Image credit: University of Michigan

Via: Mail Online