PFI:AIR - TT: Tactile Electronic Readers for People with Vision Impairment

该PFI：AIR技术翻译项目的重点是翻译一种智能材料技术，以满足视障人士阅读盲文文本和触觉图形的电子设备的需求。盲文电子阅读器将极大地影响视力受损的弱势群体：（1）为盲人儿童提供方便的盲文文本、数学方程、地图和图形图像;（2）为2100万美国人和全球3.14亿视力受损者提供方便的交流手段;及（3）在公共建筑物和街道上采用公共动态盲文显示，例如公共交通时间表和标志，以方便市民使用公共交通工具。该项目将产生一个原型触觉设备，其面积相当于智能手机屏幕大小，一次可显示40个盲文字符。内容可以刷新。与现有的盲文电子阅读器相比，新设备将更加紧凑，但价格也将降低10倍，因此每个有需要的人都可以像智能手机或iPad一样拥有自己的个人副本。该项目解决了从研究发现到商业应用的以下技术差距。缺乏一种换能器材料，其允许从平坦表面到形成凸起点的大的平面外变形，具有紧凑的形状因子并且具有低的能量消耗。研究人员创新了一种新的智能材料，能够进行大应变刚性到刚性驱动，从而准确地弥合了关键材料的差距。结合顺应性电极阵列的形成，将制造满足盲文标准的可刷新盲文点阵列。该项目将展示一个原型设备，并调查有源矩阵驱动电路和控制软件的选择。一名博士后研究员和两名本科生实习生将参与该项目，并与一名具有广泛工业研发背景的高级研究员和一名商业顾问互动，接受技术创新和翻译方面的培训经验。&该项目将有助于教育这些初级研究人员技术驱动的思维和创业精神，这是在常规的学术学习中无法获得的。

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on translating a smart material technology to fill the need for an electronic device for people with vision impairment to read braille texts and tactile graphics. The braille electronic readers will greatly impact the underserved population with vision impairment: (1) providing blind children with convenient availability of braille text, math equations, maps, and graphic images; (2) providing convenient means of communication for the 21 million Americans and 314 million people worldwide who suffer from vision impairment; and (3) better access to public transportation through the adoption of public dynamic braille displays such as time tables for public transportation and signs in public buildings and on streets. The project will result in a prototype tactile device having the area of a smartphone screen size to display 40 braille characters at a time. The contents can be refreshed. Compared to existing braille electronic readers, the new devices will be 10 times more compact yet 10 times cheaper, such that every person in need can own their personal copy like a smartphone or iPad.This project addresses the following technology gap as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application. There is a lack of a transducer material that allows for large, out of plane deformation from a flat surface to forming raised dot, in a compact form factor and with low energy consumption. The researchers have innovated a new smart material that is capable of large-strain rigid-to-rigid actuation and thus exactly bridges the critical material gap. In combination with formation of an array of compliant electrodes, a refreshable braille dot array will be fabricated meeting the braille standard. This project will demonstrate a prototype device and investigate options for active matrix driving circuitry and control software. A postdoctoral researcher and two undergraduate interns will participate in the project, and interact with a senior researcher with extensive industrial R&D background and a business consultant to receive training experience in technology innovation and translation. The project will help educate these junior researchers with technology-driven thinking and entrepreneurship that are unavailable in regular academic learning.