SBIR Phase II: Full-Page Electronic Braille Display

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目计划开发一种负担得起的设备，使视力障碍社区能够以可与移动平板电脑媲美的强大格式访问数字信息。该技术的当前实施例使用已有40年历史的技术，该技术不能扩展到超过两行文本，消耗大量电力，并且当使用多于一行文本时，昂贵得令人望而却步。这一第二阶段项目将重点建立一个机械盲文单元模块，使用在第一阶段项目中成功开发的聚合物单点致动器作为多行显示器的基础。需要解决的主要技术挑战是在保持低生产成本的同时实现机械和电气要求。因此，该项目有三个以单点致动器为基础的主要目标：(A)建造和测试符合技术要求的1点和6点原型，(B)建造一个8点盲文电池和演示电子设备和软件，以及(C)组装一短行盲文文本，以展示电池在以预期的显示格式排列时的预期性能。此外，PBI可以获得技术设施和知识，以成功地执行第二阶段。该项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是，130-200万人的视力障碍社区无法获得与现代移动平板电脑或计算机显示器相媲美的负担得起的设备。这严重限制了这个社区获取数字信息的能力，并极大地影响了识字水平、与STEM相关的教育和就业。目前可用的压电式技术价格高得令人望而却步，而且一次不能显示超过2行。这使得它不适合用于数学公式、图像和其他更大规模的数字信息。利用这笔第二阶段资金开发的负担得起的设备将使用一种新的聚合物技术，一次显示几行盲文文本。除了让视障人士更充分地参与这个数字时代外，这款设备的开发还将改变复杂的、多行信息的传播方式。盲文文学比传统文学要大得多。例如，国王詹姆斯圣经重64磅，占据了60英寸的货架空间，12英寸x 12英寸，售价342美元。这项技术预计将影响多个行业，如呼叫中心、图书馆、数字内容提供商、STEM、商业、印刷媒体以及任何现代用户从数字内容中受益的地方。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project plans to develop an affordable device that will allow the visually handicapped community to access digital information in a robust format comparable to a mobile tablet computer. Current embodiments of this technology use 40 year old technology that cannot scale beyond two lines of text, consume significant amounts of power, and are prohibitively expensive when using more than a single line. This Phase II project will focus on establishing a mechanical Braille cell module using the polymer-based single dot actuator successfully developed in the Phase I project as the foundation for a multiline display. The primary technical challenges to be addressed are achieving the mechanistic and electrical requirements while maintaining low production costs. Thus, this project has three primary objectives that build on the single-dot actuator: (a) construction and testing of 1- and 6-dot prototypes that meet technical requirements, (b) construction of an 8-dot Braille cell and demonstration electronics and software, and (c) assembly of a short line of Braille text to demonstrate the cells perform as expected when arrayed in the anticipated display format. Additionally, PBI has the access to technical facilities and knowledge to successfully perform the Phase II.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that the visually handicapped community, 1.3-2 Million individuals, does not have access to an affordable device comparable to a modern a mobile tablet or computer display. This severely limits the ability of this community to access digital information and dramatically impacts literacy levels, STEM-related education, and employment. The currently available piezo-electric technology is prohibitively expensive and cannot display more than 2 lines at once. This makes it unsuitable for use with mathematical equations, images, and other larger-scale digital information. The affordable device developed using this Phase II funding will use a novel polymer technology to display several lines of Braille text at once. In addition to allowing the visually handicapped community to participate more fully in this digital age, the development of this device will change the way complex, multi-line information is disseminated. Braille literature is significantly larger than traditional. For example, the King James Bible weighs 64lbs, takes up 60 inches of shelf space 12 inches x 12 inches and costs $342. This technology is expected to impact multiple industries such as call centers, libraries, digital content providers, STEM, business, print media, and anywhere modern users benefit from digital content.