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

[rjaquiss]

Hello:

    I have not heard anything of Tactus Technology since some comments a few
years ago. My colleagues at American Thermoform Corp. and I attend all the
major conferences that deal with braille technology.  If Tactus had shown a
device, I am quite certain we would have seen it.

Regards,

Robert


-----Original Message-----
From: NFB-Braille-Discussion
[mailto:nfb-braille-discussion-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mike Jolls
via NFB-Braille-Discussion
Sent: Saturday, November 30, 2019 9:07 AM
To: nfb-braille-discussion at nfbnet.org
Cc: Mike Jolls
Subject: [NFB-Braille-Discussion] Multi-line refreshable braille -
originally about Canute display

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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