[nfbcs] Fw: Thai researchers develop affordable Braille display

[Mike Freeman]

While the press release shown below merits investigation and NFB's R&D Committee is interested in learning more, I'm afraid that, as with many such publicity efforts, the announcement raises far more questions than it answers, to wit:

(1) Aren't synchrotrons rather large devices?

(2) What shields the Braille reader from the X-rays?

(3) How do the good Thai folks plan to manufacture such displays? Or is this merely an engineering concept and the announcement is being made in hope of garnering investors as has sadly been the case with many other "revolutionary" Braille displays?

In fairness, the X-ray question is not mine; Brian Buhrow asked it on the R&D list.

It wil be interesting to see how this research proceeds.

Mike Freeman


-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 6:46 AM
To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
Subject: [nfbcs] Fw: Thai researchers develop affordable Braille display


Thai researchers develop affordable braille display

Asia-Pacific, Dec 27, 2012



THAILAND: Thai researchers say they have developed a new and cheaper way for 
people who are blind to read text from a computer.



A team at the Synchrotron Light Research Centre in Nakhon Ratchasima said 
they have developed a Braille display with polymer cylinders that react to 
light

rays to help people with vision disabilities read text.



While computer-connected Braille displays are not new, Synchrotron’s 
innovation is the first of its kind in the world, and is much cheaper than 
other types

of Braille displays, researcher Rungrueng Phatthanakun said.



Synchrotron is the name of an accelerator, a machine that speeds up 
electrons in the machine’s magnetic field to produce light.



The light produces an x-ray which then causes tiny cylinders made out of a 
polymer substance on the reading display to move up and down beneath the 
reader’s

fingers as “raised dots” of Braille alphabets.



Mr Rungrueng said his team had made a Braille display suitable for reading 
Thai script.



However, users at Nakhon Ratchasima’s school for the blind found the display 
gives only a 67% accuracy in reading Thai words. English-reading accuracy 
was

measured at 83%.



While some foreign Braille displays cost more than 300,000 baht a unit, the 
researchers expect to sell their new displays for about 50,000 apiece, Mr 
Rungrueng

said.



His team is seeking a patent for the innovation, and improving the device to 
help users read electronic texts more accurately. The team also plans to 
develop

Braille displays compatible with tablet computers and smart phones.



Source: Bangkok Post

===

If we assume this Braille display would cost about on-sixth the price of the 
displays we know, it would put it at about $500, still pretty step for a lot 
of people.  But it is interesting.

David



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