Multi-Line Refreshable Braille Display

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目由触觉显示公司（TDC）提出，支持NIH/NEI开发帮助盲人的设备的任务。盲人学生在使用今天的可刷新盲文显示器（RBD）阅读时有两个障碍需要克服：一是不能一次阅读一行以上的内容，因为这些设备只能显示一行文本；二是不能阅读学校材料，因为直到最近还没有办法将书籍转换成适合RBD显示的文件格式。贸发局的计划有两个长远目标，以克服这些障碍：(1)发展一种能显示正确格式的文字、图表和表格的多行可更新盲文显示器（MRBD），以及(2)发展一种能转换教科书并在MRBD上显示的软件。实现目标(1)的具体目标是完成TDC盲文显示模块（BDM）组件的开发。BDM将是MRBD的基本构建块。该项目的研究设计包括为所有MRBD组件创建3D计算机模型，使用计算机数字控制（CNC）技术生产原型部件，制造工程原型，并由焦点小组进行审查。2006年7月19日，美国教育部通过了国家教材无障碍标准（NIMAS）。为了实现目标(2)，TDC与计算机应用专业公司（CASC）结成联盟，共同为MRBD开发NIMAS转换和显示软件。有了这个软件，MRBD将为盲人学生提供正确格式的NIMAS所有科目的盲文教科书。实现这些目标将给美国盲人带来几个好处：负担得起的MRBD设备（每个盲点1美元，而不是18.75美元），获得表格材料，全页盲文阅读器，最重要的是，与视力正常的同龄人平等。公共卫生相关性：触觉显示公司（TDC）提出的多线可刷新盲文显示器（MRBD）支持NIH/NEI开发帮助盲人的设备的任务。开发一种可负担得起的MRBD（每个盲点1美元，而不是18.75美元）将为盲人美国人带来几个好处：获得表格材料，全页盲文阅读器，最重要的是，与视力正常的同龄人平等。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The project proposed by Tactile Display Corporation (TDC) supports the NIH/NEI mission to develop devices to aid the blind. A blind student has 2 hurdles to overcome when reading with today's refreshable braille display (RBD): the inability to read more than one line at a time because these devices only display a single line of text, and, the inability to read school materials because until recently there's been no way to get books into the proper file format for RBD display. TDC's project has 2 long-term objectives that will overcome these hurdles: (1) development of a multi-line refreshable braille display (MRBD) able to display properly formatted text, charts and tables, and, (2) development of software to convert textbooks and display them on an MRBD. The specific aims to achieve objective (1) are to complete the development of the components for TDC's braille display module (BDM). The BDM will be the basic building-block for an MRBD. The project's research design includes creation of 3D computer models for all MRBD components, production of prototype parts using Computer Numeric Control (CNC) technology, manufacture of engineering prototypes, and reviews by focus groups. On July 19, 2006 the U. S. Department of Education adopted a National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) for schoolbooks. To achieve objective (2), TDC has formed an alliance with Computer Application Specialties Company (CASC) to jointly develop NIMAS conversion and display software for an MRBD. With this software, an MRBD will provide blind students access to properly formatted NIMAS textbooks in braille in all subjects. Realization of these objectives will offer blind Americans several benefits: affordable MRBD devices ($1.00 per braille dot instead of $18.75), access to tabulated materials, full-page braille book readers and most importantly, parity with sighted peers. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The multi-line refreshable braille display (MRBD) proposed by Tactile Display Corporation (TDC) supports the NIH/NEI mission to develop devices to aid the blind. Development of an affordable MRBD ($1.00 per braille dot instead of $18.75) will offer blind Americans several benefits: access to tabulated materials, full-page braille book readers and most importantly, parity with sighted peers.