SBIR Phase I: Technology for displaying computerized refreshable graphics for the vision impaired

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响将是改善视力障碍社区对数字内容的获取。这一途径将改善视力障碍者的生活质量，并增加就业机会。多项研究表明，盲文识字率和就业率之间存在联系。创建触觉显示器不仅通过盲文的使用改善了对数字媒体的访问，还允许通过几种新的途径与数字内容互动，包括通过地图、垂直数学和图形图像，目前现有设备无法访问。我们对一种新细胞的研究为新的图形触觉显示创造了一个基本的构件。拟议的项目旨在解决创建一种低成本和可刷新的触觉显示单元的问题，供视力受损的人使用。其目标是设计、制造和测试一系列触觉显示单元，然后对视力障碍者的可用性和低成本生产的规模进行优点评估。这项研究将利用正在开发的计算机显示盲文单元的技术，然后修改这些设计以用于触觉显示器。样品将根据多种设计进行生产，并对其技术和经济价值进行评估。最终目标将是展示可供视障人士实际使用的触觉显示单元，首次允许通过数字媒体访问图形信息。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact of this Small Business Innovations Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to improve access to digital content by the vision impaired community. This access will improve the quality of life for the vision impaired as well as improve the probability of employment. Multiple studies have shown a connection between Braille literacy and employment rates. Creating a tactile display not only improves access to digital media through braille usage, but also allows several new paths to interact with digital content, including through maps, vertical math and graphical images currently not accessible with existing devices. Our research into a new cell creates a basic building block for new graphical tactile displays. The proposed project targets the problem of creating a low cost and refreshable tactile display cell for the use by the vision impaired. The objective is to design, fabricate and test a series of tactile display cells and then perform a merit evaluation for both usability by the vision impaired and for scaling into low cost production. This research will draw on technology under development for computer display Braille cells, and then modify these designs for use in tactile displays. Samples will be produced based on multiple designs and evaluated for technical and economic merit. The end goal will be to demonstrate tactile display cells which are practical for use by vision impaired, allowing access to graphical information via digital media for the first time.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.