Multimedia Gallery
Turning digital info into Braille for the visually impaired - CES 2016
NSF-funded small business Polymer Braille Inc. is developing a mechanical Braille device that uses polymer-based, single-dot actuators to enable visually impaired people to access digital information in a mobile tablet computer. Wallace Pitts of Polymer Braille explains that existing technology cannot scale beyond two lines of text, consumes significant amounts of power, and is expensive.
The new electronic Braille display could give the visually impaired community access to affordable, modern devices. The early-stage technology is funded through NSF's Small Business Innovation Research program and was featured at the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show in the Eureka Park Marketplace. Learn more about the NSF SBIR program and the Polymer Braille.
Original air date: March 29, 2016
Credit: NSF
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