Embosser Using Polymer Roller for Production of Improved Braille and Tactile Grap

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案的具体目的是开发和实施一种用于生产盲文和触觉图形的新型技术，该技术使用一种系统，在该系统中，金属冲压针射入光滑的聚合物涂层轴，而不是像大多数当前压花技术那样射入机加工的金属模具。该项目的成功完成将产生一个新的盲文和触觉图形印刷机，利用聚合物辊为基础的压花系统和印刷全彩色油墨的单张纸到A3/小报大小。这种新的印刷机将允许在页面上的任何地方进行压花，允许符合特定国家标准的盲文和更平滑，更连续的图形在同一页面上与全色打印一起创建。如果在第一阶段研究结束之前没有完成聚合物辊的设计，新的喷墨打印机的开发将开始，并选择金属冲头的尺寸和形状以产生最佳质量的点。接下来，将开发打印机硬件和电子设备，然后是控制硬件所需的固件和驱动程序，以便沿着聚合物辊的光滑表面打印图形和盲文。开发完成后，盲文翻译和图形编辑软件将针对新的压花系统进行优化。新的图像处理器所实现的技术进步将改善和加快视障者对图形信息的访问，特别是对那些在科学、数学和工程等技术领域学习或工作的人来说，这是一个巨大的好处。利用基于聚合物辊的压花系统的新型压花机的制造成本也将比基于当前技术的类似型号低20%，从而可以以更低的价格销售更好的压花机，从而使更多的客户能够购买它们。这将使更多的视力障碍者更好地获得他们在教育、职业和日常生活中所需的触觉材料，这无疑有可能改善他们的心理健康和生活质量。盲人的心理健康和生活质量问题是国家眼科研究所的使命之一。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The specific aim of this proposal is to develop and implement a new type of technology for production of braille and tactile graphics that uses a system in which metal punch pins fire into a smooth polymer-coated shaft rather than into a machined metal die as with most current embossing technologies. The successful completion of this project will yield a new braille and tactile graphics embosser that utilizes a polymer roller based embossing system and prints full color ink on cut sheet paper up to A3/tabloid size. This new embosser will allow embossing anywhere on a page, permitting braille that meets specific national standards and smoother, more continuous graphics to be created together on the same page with full color print. The development of the new embosser will begin with finalization of the polymer roller design, if this is not accomplished prior to the end of the Phase I research, and selection of metal punch pins sized and shaped to produce the best quality dots. Next the embosser hardware and electronics will be developed, followed by the firmware and drivers necessary to control the hardware to emboss graphics and braille where desired along the smooth surface of the polymer roller. After this development is complete, braille translation and graphics editing software will be optimized for the new embossing system. The technical advancements implemented in the new embosser will improve and speed up access to graphical information by the visually impaired, providing a great benefit, especially to those studying or working in technical fields such as science, mathematics and engineering. The new embosser utilizing the polymer roller based embossing system will also be up to 20% cheaper to manufacture than a similar model based on the current technology, permitting better embossers to be sold at a lower price, allowing more customers to purchase them. This will lead to more people with visual impairments getting better access to tactile materials they need for education, in their professions and in their daily lives, which certainly has the potential to improve their mental health and quality of life. Mental health and quality of life issues for blind people are pat of the mission of the National Eye Institute.