[nabs-l] Orbit Research Group & TBG announce project for low cost braille display.

[David Andrews]

>
>Orbit Research and the Transforming Braille 
>Group Announce Agreement to Produce Low-cost Refreshable Braille Display
>
>WILMINGTON, DE – August 6, 2015 – Orbit Research 
>LLC and the Transforming Braille Group LLC are 
>pleased to announce an agreement to produce a 
>low cost, refreshable braille display.
>
>Orbit, an international engineering company 
>based in Wilmington, Delaware, specialising in 
>high quality, low cost products for blind and 
>partially sighted people, will be undertaking 
>the research, development and manufacture of this unique product.
>
>The Transforming Braille Group LLC is a global 
>consortium of organisations of and for the blind 
>which is investing $1m in the project.
>
>The objective of the project is to produce a 
>stand-alone 20-cell refreshable braille display 
>for $300 (or £200) which will bring refreshable 
>braille within the reach of children in 
>developing countries and will provide libraries 
>in developed countries with a viable alternative 
>to hard copy braille. The product will be launched at CSUN in 2016.
>
>The display is designed to work through USB and 
>Bluetooth connectivity with 'smart' phones and 
>tablets. It is not intended to compete with high 
>specification refreshable braille display 
>already on the market, primarily used in 
>education and employment but is intended to 
>bring braille displayed e-books to a wide audience at an economical price.
>
>"The agreement with TBG is a landmark in our 
>journey to develop and manufacture essential 
>products at an affordable cost through the 
>application of mainstream technology in unique 
>and innovative ways” said Dr. Gina Spagnoli, 
>Orbit Research’s Founder.  “While each of 
>our previous products has brought a multi-fold 
>improvement in the state of the art in terms of 
>performance, cost, size and features, we are 
>thrilled that through this partnership with TBG, 
>we will be able to offer a game-changing product 
>that will impact the daily lives of millions of 
>blind people across the world”
>
>TBG President, Kevin Carey said: "At last we 
>have a technology which will guarantee the 
>survival of braille. It has been my 
>long-standing, publicly stated objective to find 
>a disruptive technology which will radically 
>force down the cost of refreshable braille so 
>that the world's digital content becomes 
>available in a tactile format. This new device 
>will bring braille within the price range of 
>educators in developing countries and will 
>enable most blind people to access e-books and 
>other internet material without resorting to specialist libraries."
>
>TBG estimates that its new product will retail 
>at a unit cost less than 20% of the current market price.
>
>Contact details:
>Kevin Carey, President,
>Transforming Braille Group LLC
>Tel:  +44(0)1273 834321
>Email:  <mailto:humanity at atlas.co.uk>humanity at atlas.co.uk
>www.Transformingbraille.org  (under construction)
>
>Carla Morris
>Orbit Research LLC
>Tel:  1-888-606-7248
>Email: <mailto:morris.carla at orbitresearch.com>morris.carla at orbitresearch.com
>www.orbitresearch.com
>

         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org