[NFB-Braille-Discussion] Multi-line refreshable braille - originally about Canute display

Mon Dec 2 17:18:52 UTC 2019

Hi Jasmyn

I’ll give you my 2 cents, and then let others chime in with their responses.

The UEB system is made up of a lot of the old English Braille plus changes specific to UEB.  Some of the contractions in the old English Braille system are gone.  Therefore, you have to know both the old, and then the  updates for UEB – if you want to know it all and read either.

There are reasons for learning the old, and then the new after that.

If you want to read an older book, it will likely be embossed in the older English Braille system.  If you only knew UEB, you wouldn’t know some of the contractions that are present with the older Braille since UEB got rid of them.

But there’s nothing stopping you from starting UEB if that’s mostly what you’re going to read.  If that’s the case, find a good resource that teaches the UEB system.  Then, supplement with the old as needed.

When I learned, it was about 13 years ago.  At that time, only the old system was enforce.  Learning that, and then the updates for UEB was a good way to go.  I wanted to read older pleasure books and they were printed in the old English Braille.  So I was good to go there.  But I also knew I wanted to read some current publications.  They were in UEB.  You can see for me, knowing both was essential.
It just depends on what you’re going to need to read out of the starting gate.  If it’s more UEB, then learn UEB.  If you know you’re going to be reading a combination, then do it like I did.

One thing that might be tricky are the rules of usage.  When I learned the old way, there was a manual that I received that told what contractions could be used together, and when, and so on .. the rules.  I haven’t seen a rulebook yet for UEB, but I bet it’s going to be different since, as I said above, some of the contractions are eliminated.

Good luck.

Mike Jolls

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From: Jasmyn Po<mailto:jazzyep94 at yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 1, 2019 11:57 AM
To: NFB Braille Discussion List<mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>; nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Mike Jolls<mailto:mrspock56 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Multi-line refreshable braille - originally about Canute display

What advice would you give give me for studying Braille? What advice would you give me for studying the punctuation in Braille?
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On Sun, Dec 1, 2019 at 7:59 AM, Mike Jolls via NFB-Braille-Discussion
<nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org> wrote:
Then let’s hope there are enough use-cases to warrant further development so this technology can reach maturity.  Are you aware of a timeframe the experts think this will require to be viable?  Of course that may be difficult to say.  How can you say … “I’m going to be a genius in 5 years”.

Thanks for the information.

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From: Donald Winiecki<mailto:dwiniecki at handid.org<mailto:dwiniecki at handid.org>>
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 11:10 AM
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Cc: Mike Jolls<mailto:mrspock56 at hotmail.com<mailto:mrspock56 at hotmail.com>>
Subject: Re: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Multi-line refreshable braille - originally about Canute display

Yes. There are such technologies in development. I work with a scientist who is actively researching and applying this technology. Current focus is in medical applications. However, speed of movement is still very very slow compared to what would be required in a braille device, and the distance of movements still not as far as would be required to create comfortable braille reading.

I suspect the technology will have to be refined and mature in more lucrative applications before it is adapted to braille devices. That said, the benefits are undeniable. It could offer lighter and more reliable operation than the micro magnetic and piezoelectric devices now available.

The multi-line Canute is mechanical and so far is showing itself to suit a niche that simply did not exist previously with one-line displays. It can be very valuable in education, STEM, law, and in music where its multi-line display and apparent durability will be a major boon. I’m sure Bristol is quite busy with future plans.

_don

On Nov 30, 2019, at 9:07 AM, Mike Jolls via NFB-Braille-Discussion <nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org><mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org<mailto:nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org>>> wrote:
I’m reposting this as I erroneously sent it to one person.  I wanted to hear from the entire list.

This was originally about the new Canute mechanical display.

While I appreciate the fact that a company has finally tried to create  a multi-line braille display (the Canute) … something that people have been wanting for some time … I think that what people would really want (and you all can correct me if I’m wrong) would be a very portable device, such as a tablet like an iPad, that was easily transportable, which supported multiple lines of Braille.

I haven’t actually seen the Canute.  Some comments are that it’s a large desk model.  Some have also said it’s a bit noisy.  The best design of course is one that is relatively lightweight, and relatively quiet (that is if you can do it).  If a tablet could be produced that could “pop multiple lines of braille out of the screen”, that would seem a good fit.  Pop the dots right out of the surface of the tablet (you actually deform the tablet surface as there are no “holes” with pins that are pushed up through them as in current displays), read the page, hit a button, then pull them back to the screen and pop out the next page of dots.  It would have to be a large screen, such as used in a tablet.  There would be a lot of rows.  Quiet operation.  if it was built like a tablet, and you had various apps that could recognize different file types, well then you could read a lot of different types of material in one place (PDFs, Word documents, etc…).  Just have your data on the cloud or on a memory stick and load it to the tablet and you’re ready.  Then go into braille mode.  You do it all on the tablet.  No external braille display needed.

In my last email. I was asking if anybody had heard about a company called Tactus Technology that had been working on plastics that could be “deformed”.  I believe I contacted them about 7 or 8 years ago.  They said they were at least thinking about an application for Braile and tablets.  If that is possible, , this could make portable Braille that is very light, and which had a lot of lines.  It seems that would really be a winning combination.

I was wondering if anybody had heard anything about progress with this potential technology?  Has anything been said in NFB circles?  Is the NFB even aware of this possibility?

What do you all think of a technology if it could deliver such a solution?

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