ELIA Tactile Label Maker

描述(由申请人提供)：这是一项第二阶段的提案，旨在开发一种触觉文本生产设备，该设备将支持多种触觉字母(例如，Elia、盲文、罗马字母)、多种字体大小、标签生产和图形，以受益于：“180多万严重视力受损的美国人和600万不能阅读标准盲文的低视力美国人”，59,000名盲文读者将受益于包括图形在内的更强的触觉文本生产能力，以及“与盲人和视障人士互动但需要视觉打印输出的视力消费者”。触觉文本制作的灵活性增加将使盲人和视障人士能够标记和识别日常生活活动(ADL)和日常生活工具活动(IADL)所需的物品，并获取印刷文本和图形。这些能力将使盲人和视障人士获得更大的独立性，并增加就业和休闲活动的机会。目前推荐给盲人的触觉标签方法使用家居、五金和工艺品材料[3]。用于区分物体的触觉标签方法通常包括改变橡皮筋、胶点、毛毡、指甲油、纱线、安全别针、磁铁、胶带或其他常见材料的数量或位置。为了打印触觉图形信息，视障人士或者：1)使用在固定单位和每页可变的基础上都很昂贵的技术，或者2)他们使用计算机前技术(例如，电铸、热成型、手动压花、真空成型)拼凑出笨拙的解决方案，其中每一种都是笨拙、不可靠或不适合消费市场的。目前的触觉打印和标签产品主要是为有限的盲文用户群体设计的，只生产标准尺寸的盲文文本。为了更好地满足整个盲人和视障人群的需求，需要支持其他触觉字母(例如，Roman、Elia)、多种字体大小、标签制作和图形的触觉文本制作产品。这一群体中的大部分人都有剩余的视力，也将受益于触觉/视觉打印能力的结合。这些功能需要在既方便用户又便宜的产品中提供。该公司提出的触觉文本生产技术将满足这些产品需求，为当前产品的局限性提供解决方案。与公共健康相关：这项研究将为盲人开发触觉标签制作和印刷技术。触觉文本制作的灵活性增加将使盲人和视障人士能够标记和识别日常生活活动(ADL)和日常生活工具活动(ALDS)所需的物品，并获取印刷文本和图形。这些能力将使盲人和视障人士获得更大的独立性，并增加就业和休闲活动的机会。 一个主要的担忧在于，调查人员提议整合的许多技术已经存在。当然，这可以更有效地利用时间开发最终产品(而不是拿出自己的解决方案)，但它在知识产权、寻找合适的设备供应商和根据需要进行逆向工程材料方面引发了担忧。调查人员意识到了这一问题，涉及潜在的知识产权侵权行为，以及使用未来可能无法获得的组件或过于昂贵的组件的风险。然而，从长远来看，他们将在这条道路上站在什么位置还不清楚。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a Phase II proposal to develop a tactile text production device that will support multiple tactile alphabets (e.g., Elia, Braille, Roman), multiple font sizes, label production, and graphics to benefit: " the more than 1.8 million severely visually impaired and 6.0 million low-vision Americans who cannot read standard Braille, " the 59,000 Braille readers who would benefit from greater tactile text production capabilities, including graphics, and " sighted consumers who interact with blind and visually impaired people, but require visual print output. Increased flexibility in tactile text production will enable the blind and visually impaired to label and identify items required for their activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), and access printed text and graphics. These abilities will enable blind and visually impaired people to achieve greater independence, and increased opportunities for employment and leisure activities. The current tactile labeling methods recommended for the blind use household, hardware, and arts and crafts materials [3]. The tactile labeling methods for distinguishing objects typically include varying the number or placement of rubber bands, dots made of glue, felt, nail polish, strands of yarn, safety pins, magnets, pieces of tape, or other common materials. To print tactile graphical information, the visually impaired either: 1) utilize technology that is expensive on both a fixed unit and variable per page basis, or 2) they cobble together awkward solutions using pre-computer technology (e.g., electroforming, thermoforming, manual embossing, vacuum forming), each of which is cumbersome, unreliable or not suited for the consumer market. Current tactile printing and labeling products are designed primarily for the limited population of Braille users and produce only standard size Braille text. What is needed to better address the needs of the entire blind and visually impaired population are tactile text production products that support other tactile alphabets (e.g., Roman, ELIA), multiple font sizes, label production, and graphics. Much of this population has residual vision and would also benefit from combined tactile/visual printing abilities. These features need to be offered in a product that is both user-friendly and inexpensive. The company's proposed tactile text production technologies will address these product needs, offering a solution to the limitations in current products. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research will develop tactile label making and printing technologies for the blind. Increased flexibility in tactile text production will enable the blind and visually impaired to label and identify items required for their activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (ALDs), and access printed text and graphics. These abilities will enable blind and visually impaired people to achieve greater independence, and increased opportunities for employment and leisure activities. A main concern rests with the fact that a lot of the technology the investigators are proposing to integrate already exists. Certainly, this allows for much more efficient use of time in terms of developing the end product (rather than coming up with their own solutions), but it raises concerns in terms of intellectual property, sourcing appropriate equipment suppliers, and reverse engineering materials as needed. The investigators are aware of this issue regarding potential IP violations and the risk of using components that may not be available down the road or too cost prohibitive. However, it is not clear where they will stand by going down this path in the long-term.