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Braille Display Idea (self.Blind)
submitted by llllmaverickllll
As an interview question I've been asked to create three concepts for a braille reader that converts text from a mobile device into braille. I would love input on what types of features the blind community would like in a braille reader. If you currently have one are there things about it that you like? Are there things about it that could be improved?
A few questions:
I've seen that the devices currently available all have braille keyboards as well. Is that critical in a device like this?
Would a braille reader with a single character that changes at a set timing rather than multiple characters that you slide your finger over work? If this idea has potential it could reduce the size, weight and cost of the product significantly.
Thank you for any input!
A few questions:
I've seen that the devices currently available all have braille keyboards as well. Is that critical in a device like this?
Would a braille reader with a single character that changes at a set timing rather than multiple characters that you slide your finger over work? If this idea has potential it could reduce the size, weight and cost of the product significantly.
Thank you for any input!
tysonedwards 2 points 2y ago
Just throwing this out there… there has been many research studies showing that rapid motion in a localized area can cause phantom sensations. When it comes to braille, if one of 8 pins within a character misinterpreted, the aggregate meaning of the phrase is lost.
What you’re advocating after all is a system where the character display pulses at a certain frequency, and if the operator misses a character because they had an itch or weren’t paying total attention, they’re now lost.
A braille terminal gives more than just letters, numbers, and punctuation. It provides spatial meaning to that information, along with control to the user where they can advance to when they have ingested the information to their satisfaction.
What you’re advocating after all is a system where the character display pulses at a certain frequency, and if the operator misses a character because they had an itch or weren’t paying total attention, they’re now lost.
A braille terminal gives more than just letters, numbers, and punctuation. It provides spatial meaning to that information, along with control to the user where they can advance to when they have ingested the information to their satisfaction.
llllmaverickllll [OP] 1 points 2y ago
After watching videos about how people read braille I've really leaned away from the single character concept. I think you have a great point about automatically progressing braille as well.
What would you think about a cylindrical shaped reader that you would be able to put both of your hands on. The braille would rotate around to touch your fingers and if you removed your hands it would automatically pause? You could then re-read that section if you wanted to without having it automatically progress and once you touch a certain place on the device (probably with both pinky's) it would progress again.
The bottom side of the device would have a flat surface so that you could place it on a table top and it wouldn't roll from side to side.
What would you think about a cylindrical shaped reader that you would be able to put both of your hands on. The braille would rotate around to touch your fingers and if you removed your hands it would automatically pause? You could then re-read that section if you wanted to without having it automatically progress and once you touch a certain place on the device (probably with both pinky's) it would progress again.
The bottom side of the device would have a flat surface so that you could place it on a table top and it wouldn't roll from side to side.
tysonedwards 1 points 2y ago
I understand that you’re trying to help, but people spend years learning how to read braille, and you’re talking about learning an entirely different scheme.
Believe me, people have tried… ultimately realizing that their “creative solution” has significantly reduced reading speed and increased error rates when compared to conventional flat braille.
See this as one of the more recent attempts that tried despite having a profound understanding of the past technologies that came before it and how users read braille today.
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-94274-2_43.pdf
Believe me, people have tried… ultimately realizing that their “creative solution” has significantly reduced reading speed and increased error rates when compared to conventional flat braille.
See this as one of the more recent attempts that tried despite having a profound understanding of the past technologies that came before it and how users read braille today.
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-94274-2_43.pdf
llllmaverickllll [OP] 1 points 2y ago
I am beginning to understand the challenges here. This product concept is purely a hypothetical that a company I’m interviewing for asked me to conceptualize. The feedback provided has given me a really great basis to come to the conclusion that portable, single line readers, and especially single character readers are not that useful.
I’ll make that a critical funding that I report in my presentation.
I’ll make that a critical funding that I report in my presentation.
retrolental_morose 1 points 2y ago
I imagine a keyboared coupled with a display was born out of a need not to move the hands so far, or perhaps the use of Braille notetakers had something to do with it.
In terms of using only a single Braille cell, I think this has been tried (Google the BraiBook). I've not used one extensively, but I would presume motion of the finger is used to read Braille as much as anything else. I can't imagine pins appearing legibly under a static digit doing much for reading speed.
In terms of using only a single Braille cell, I think this has been tried (Google the BraiBook). I've not used one extensively, but I would presume motion of the finger is used to read Braille as much as anything else. I can't imagine pins appearing legibly under a static digit doing much for reading speed.
llllmaverickllll [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Great insight regarding the coupling of the keyboard with the display. I think in the case of the mobile specific version perhaps the keyboard wouldn't be as important.
I agree with your thoughts on the single braille cell and I made a slight tweak to the idea. What if you had a single location where you put your finger to read the braille rather than the dots popping up from under your finger they scrolled past your finger. So in essence here you're getting the feel of moving your finger over the braille without the need for 14-20 characters worth of space.
The other advantage of this is that since you never have to move your finger from the beginning to the end you can read continuously rather than having to reset your finger back to the start of the character list every few seconds.
I agree with your thoughts on the single braille cell and I made a slight tweak to the idea. What if you had a single location where you put your finger to read the braille rather than the dots popping up from under your finger they scrolled past your finger. So in essence here you're getting the feel of moving your finger over the braille without the need for 14-20 characters worth of space.
The other advantage of this is that since you never have to move your finger from the beginning to the end you can read continuously rather than having to reset your finger back to the start of the character list every few seconds.
retrolental_morose 1 points 2y ago
Ooh, ok. I'd have to stop and think about exactly "how" I read Braille, though.
With paper, I often drop down to a new line with one hand whilst finishing the first line with the other. To me, a 2 line Braille display with decent spacing and either 32 or 40 characters per line with silent and instant refreshing would be a dream device, assuming price to be no barrier. But that's just going on the current set of devices on the market.
It'd be interesting to see just how many of my fingers can recognise Braille in parallel: is the action of reading sequentially with tips of index fingers habitual and a holdover from a childhood-imparted Braille teaching system, for instance?
Fascinating.Fascating
With paper, I often drop down to a new line with one hand whilst finishing the first line with the other. To me, a 2 line Braille display with decent spacing and either 32 or 40 characters per line with silent and instant refreshing would be a dream device, assuming price to be no barrier. But that's just going on the current set of devices on the market.
It'd be interesting to see just how many of my fingers can recognise Braille in parallel: is the action of reading sequentially with tips of index fingers habitual and a holdover from a childhood-imparted Braille teaching system, for instance?
Fascinating.Fascating
llllmaverickllll [OP] 1 points 2y ago
Great information! I have to develop 3 new design concepts in 24hrs so this is really amazing feedback. Here are my constraints:
Portable, Low cost, targets cell phone pairing
Basic description of function: "The functional aspect of the product displays a single line of braille text. After the line of text is read the device can update the line of braille to read the next line of text."
So in this case I'll stick to a single line, but I'll create a note about user feedback with some of your input.
Most of the devices I've seen are as you've suggested rather large with integrated keyboards. The BraiBook was a great source as I was thinking of exactly the same concept so your feedback about a single character reader has really given me a great talking point about a weakness in the portable braille reader market. I think a reader with a continuously rotating set of braille could be a creative solution to the problem with the single character reader.
Portable, Low cost, targets cell phone pairing
Basic description of function: "The functional aspect of the product displays a single line of braille text. After the line of text is read the device can update the line of braille to read the next line of text."
So in this case I'll stick to a single line, but I'll create a note about user feedback with some of your input.
Most of the devices I've seen are as you've suggested rather large with integrated keyboards. The BraiBook was a great source as I was thinking of exactly the same concept so your feedback about a single character reader has really given me a great talking point about a weakness in the portable braille reader market. I think a reader with a continuously rotating set of braille could be a creative solution to the problem with the single character reader.
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