[nfbcs] Fw: Thai researchers develop affordable Braille display

[David Andrews]

Well, it is impossible to know.  I have been involved with NFB's 
Research and Development Committee for over 20 years.  In that time 
we have probably been shown a dozen different systems -- none of 
which have panned out yet.  Will one of them, some day, yes, 
probably, but not yet.  So, read with interest, and don't expect to 
see anything today or tomorrow, maybe next year, or in 5 years, who knows.

Dave

At 12:20 PM 12/30/2012, you wrote:
>I'd sure like to know if any of the technologies I'm reading about in the
>Braille Display research area are legitimate .. and if they will make it to
>market any time soon.  I've been trying to follow this for the last year or
>two and the electrostatic polymer technology (plastics, if you will, that
>can be stimulated by electricity to "deform" the plastic and make it produce
>"bumps" for braille) has been something I've been very intrigued by.  The
>research I've been reading says that a Braille display using the
>electrostatic polymer technology should be possible at $5-$10 per cell.
>That would certainly be a great cost savings over the $40 per cell that
>these displays cost today.
>But they you don't hear anything.  It's like they "throw you a bone" and you
>get your hopes up and then nothing.  I'd like to know if there's really
>anything to this.  Will we see any products in the next year, two, three, or
>five years?  I'd like to get a portable wireless Braille display to
>interface with my iPad and/or my desktop computer.  They're currently
>available at $3000 or around that price-point ... but I sure don't relish
>the idea of spending that kind of money if waiting a short time will enable
>me to get the technology I want at a quarter of the cost.
>
>What do you hear if anything?
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of John G. Heim
>Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 11:49 AM
>To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Fw: Thai researchers develop affordable Braille display
>
>It's amazing how many of these stories there are about researchers making a
>breakthrough in developing inexpensive braille displays. I'll bet I've seen
>10 of them in the last 5 years. It's amazing to me that the raised soenoid
>technology still dominates. I'd have thought that by now, one of these
>breakthroughs would have been legitimate.
>
>
>On Dec 30, 2012, at 8:46 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>
> >
> > 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