Wednesday, December 20, 2006

'Bridge' Concept Can Turn Anything Into Braille

Filed under: etc.

A Chinese firm is working on a prototype device that could revolutionize the lives of blind readers everywhere. In theory, the hand held product would be able to scan any written text and then convert it into braille.

For a long time, the blind can only read scarce Braille books of a narrow scope, missing out on much of the reading pleasure enjoyed by people with normal sight. Is there any way to make the blind be able to read printworks that ordinary people can read only? Blind reader-"Bridge" allows the blind to read printed works. When it is scanning the text in books or other presswork, it translates the text into braille, which is then displayed on its special screen for the blind to touch. At the same time, "Bridge" saves the text into the internal hard disk to be read later. In addition, the product can download data from the Internet. So that it can fit books of different sizes, it has been designed with a foldaway shape. The user can delete files on demand. In order to allow users more convenient reading, the Braille screen can display a column of words only. The device is easy to operate, with easily identified functional divisions. It is small and easy to carry, allowing it to be used anywhere.

How does it work? The braille screen works with electromagnetic or piezoelectric principles. When the current or voltage goes through every array of six stitches, the resulting rise and decline gives birth to braille. The product scans the original printed matter, then translates the images into analog electrical signals with an optical-to-electrical transducer. Finally, it translates the analog electrical signal into a digital signal.

(hat tip: Engadget via Yanko)

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