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Braille Display Senior Design Help (self.Blind)
submitted by sentos153
I'm doing a senior design project based on making a braille reader, and my group had some questions for people in the community, as to make the best product we can for the end user. Currently our design is very similar to a Refreshable Braille Display, however only 6 keys. These keys would move through a text file 1 character by 1 character at variable rates of speed. would this be reasonable for braille reading? Would changing 6 at a time be more readable? Would 8 pin braille be necessary for the user, or would 6 pin be enough? Are more than 6 characters necessary for reading comprehension? Are there any other major concerns we have missed with this design? Thank you for reading and I appreciate whatever help I can get!
CloudsOfMagellan 3 points 3y ago
You'd want at least 3 sets of 6 though most people would want more
mehgcap 2 points 3y ago
Your phrasing is slightly confusing. Are you saying you have six cells of six dots each? If so, this will be too small for most experienced readers. Auto-scrolling can help some, but it's not great. Sometimes, you have to go back and re-read a character or two, and that negates auto-scrolling. I've used smaller displays, and they work, but I still prefer larger ones.
Obviously this depends on the use case, the user's braille level, reading speed, content being read... It's like asking what the best screen size is. Texting? A small screen is fine. Watching a movie? You want at least a 6-inch screen, if not a tablet. Editing photos? Tablet at minimum, but preferably a full laptop or desktop screen. Not a perfect analogy, but it's all I have right now.
As to the dot count, I prefer eight dots. The extra two let you show a cursor, and are used in eight-dot braille. That's not a common usage, but it's one I've used a lot. The cursor is the larger concern, I'd guess. If all you're doing is rendering a text file, a cursor doesn't matter as much. If cost is a priority, you can probably get away with six dots.
All of this is just my own opinion, with no market research, knowledge from teaching braille or working with braille teachers, or anything. Good luck with your project. If you're the one to make braille truly affordable, that'd be awesome. The best we have now is $400 or $500 for a 20-cell display that takes a long time to refresh.
Obviously this depends on the use case, the user's braille level, reading speed, content being read... It's like asking what the best screen size is. Texting? A small screen is fine. Watching a movie? You want at least a 6-inch screen, if not a tablet. Editing photos? Tablet at minimum, but preferably a full laptop or desktop screen. Not a perfect analogy, but it's all I have right now.
As to the dot count, I prefer eight dots. The extra two let you show a cursor, and are used in eight-dot braille. That's not a common usage, but it's one I've used a lot. The cursor is the larger concern, I'd guess. If all you're doing is rendering a text file, a cursor doesn't matter as much. If cost is a priority, you can probably get away with six dots.
All of this is just my own opinion, with no market research, knowledge from teaching braille or working with braille teachers, or anything. Good luck with your project. If you're the one to make braille truly affordable, that'd be awesome. The best we have now is $400 or $500 for a 20-cell display that takes a long time to refresh.
Laser_Lens_4 1 points 3y ago
I'm guessing you mean 6 Braille cells? That's not a lot to work with and would still cost a fair bit with piezoelectric cells. Skimping on the extra two dots might work for a unit with so few cells but that's stripping back an awful lot of functionality. With contracted Braille some words might take up half the display. The smallest units on the market have 14 8-dot cells and even those feel a bit cramped.
KillerLag 1 points 3y ago
If it is only for output, then 6 dot cells would be sufficient. However, if you check many displays, you'll find there are 8 pins. The extra two is for things such as indicating the position of a cursor, or in some cases 8 dot Braille (not too sure how often that comes up).
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