While not Speakup-related (yet), and not directly Linux-related, I thought some might be interested in the following exchange. If someone can get a braille display out that's cheaper than the current offerings, I'm *all for it*! Especially if it can be integrated into a cheap computer running Linux. >From: "Ed Meskys" <edmeskys at worldpath.net> > > >This was on the NHblind-talk listserv. Ed Meskys >----- Original Message ----- >From: Louis Gosselin <LGosselin at ED.STATE.NH.US> >To: <NHBLIND-TALK at MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU> >Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2000 9:33 AM >Subject: mechanical braille display > > >I found the following exchange, excerpted from the electro-braille listserv >extremely interesting, and remember attending the presentation on this >device at the national convention this past July, but never found the >device on display in the huxter room. This is an extremely well-written >description of it: > > > From: John W Roberts <roberts at cmr.ncsl.nist.gov> >Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 21:35:17 -0500 (EST) >Subject: [Electro-Braille] Re: NIST Braille display > >Dear John, > >Your information on the NIST Braille display technology is not correct, >though I can understand how some of the articles written about it could >be interpreted along those lines. We do not use a plastic strip. The Braille >text is formed using rounded-tip pins that can be moved in or out through >holes in the reading surface, just like the existing commercial refreshable >Braille displays. What the three actuators do is to set selected pins as >they >move past the actuators, to form the desired Braille text. (Three actuators >are used for six-dot Braille; of course it would take four actuators for >eight-dot Braille.) > >The pins have flat heads, somewhat like the head on a carpenter's nail. >The pins are located in holes in the surface of the wheel, with the heads >of the pins pointing toward the center of the wheel, and the rounded tips of >the pins pointing toward the outside of the wheel. To set a pin, it is >pushed >outward, away from the center of the wheel, until the rounded tip of the pin >sticks out of the surface of the wheel, and can be felt as a Braille dot. >After the pins are set into the desired Braille pattern by the three >actuators, the part of the wheel in which they are located rotates into the >reading area, which is exposed so that users can read the Braille text. >Under the reading area, a non-rotating retention device with slotted tracks >is located inside the rotating wheel. The heads of the pins slide along >these slotted tracks, which prevent any pins that are set from slipping >down into the holes in the wheel when the user presses against them, and >also prevent any of the pins that are not set from sticking out of the >wheel. The final result is refreshable Braille with standard cell and dot >dimensions, that is very "strong" (doesn't push down into the reading >surface under finger pressure). The wheel can move continuously, or stop >periodically, as the user wishes. > >When we were designing this second-generation prototype, there were three >main issues that we were concerned about regarding the basic usability of >the device: 1) whether Braille users would be able to read moving Braille >(and enjoy doing so), 2) whether the curvature of the reading surface would >be a problem, and 3) what kinds of user controls might be needed for >convenient reading. In addition to advice from many Braille users, we have >supporting evidence regarding the first two of these questions based on >actual experience. First, I took a simple demo to this year's NFB convention >in Atlanta in July. The demo consisted of a Dymo Braille label on a >continuously rotating wheel, to show what a rotating wheel Braille display >would feel like. (This may be where the idea came from that the technology >uses a strip of plastic.) Of an estimated 250 Braille users who tried this >demo, over 95 percent were able to read the moving Braille on the curved >surface of the wheel, without a need for any sort of learning period. >Second, since the prototype became operational on September 25, all the >Braille users who have had a chance to try it have been able to read it >easily, and have highly complimented the feel of the Braille. The users >have commented that neither the motion of the text nor the curvature of the >wheel is a problem. While obviously not everyone is going to like a new >technology, all the results we have encountered so far strongly suggest >that the wheel-based technology will result in a new, very low cost addition >to the refreshable Braille display market that will provide pleasurable >reading for a large percentage of Braille users. > >We are currently trying to arrange opportunities for more Braille users to >try the prototype, to get more feedback on how people like it and on what >could be improved, and to encourage research on this technology within >organizations outside of NIST. > >We are also trying to get Braille user input on the third usability issue: >what kinds of user controls and display protocols are needed for this >kind of display for optimum usability. Of course adjustable speed is >necessary, and commands to jump back or forward various distances in the >text. It may be useful for the display to introduce special control >characters into the stream of Braille text to indicate new line, jump >in text, current position in the text, and so on. > >We have received some comments that the moving-text display may actually >have some advantages over conventional line-type displays for reading large >texts such as e-books, since the users will not have to perform the many >thousands of repetitive hand motions needed to read a novel using current >displays or printed Braille. With practice, using some future >high-performance >commercial wheel-based display (not our simple prototype), reading speed >for books may actually be higher than with current displays. Of course, it >will require actual tests by users to determine whether this is true. > >John, if you have specific things you don't like about the technology, I >would appreciate if you would let us know. Advice from Braille users has >been of great help in the course of the project. > >Regards, >John Roberts, Project leader, NIST Braille project >john.roberts at nist.gov ><http://www.itl.nist.gov/div895/isis/projects/Braille/> > > From: John W Roberts <roberts at cmr.ncsl.nist.gov> >Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2000 05:06:18 -0500 (EST) >Subject: [Electro-Braille] Re: NIST Braille display > > >Hello John, > >Our prototype has about 16 cells exposed and feelable simultaneously. >Of course, a person designing a display using this technology can determine >the number of cells exposed and the curvature of the surface by choosing >the diameter of the wheel and the percentage of the wheel that's exposed. >An interesting effect of the moving text and the extended reading area: >the second time we showed the working prototype, two Braille users, using >one or two fingers each, read the display simultaneously! We certainly >hadn't planned to create a multiple-user display, but I suppose there are >applications such as reading news reports where that capability might be >useful. > >Thanks for your suggestion on the speed control. Right now, speed is >controlled using a twistable knob. Some people have suggested a foot >pedal speed control. We are putting together a list of recommended design >features, including both user suggestions and ideas we have on the design. >The list is intended both for our own use, and to pass on to companies >that decide to manufacture the display, to hopefully give them a good >starting point on design and market research. > >I have a general question for the members of the Electro-Braille >mailing list: does anyone know of good references (online would be easiest) >to the conventions used and formats in electronic Braille files, and their >display on refreshable Braille devices? We would like to do what we can to >make sure our prototype is compatible with existing practices, and only >add new display behaviors needed for a wheel-type display if there are not >any existing practices that will do the same job. > >Regards, >John Roberts >Project leader, NIST Braille project >john.roberts at nist.gov > >From: "John J. Boyer" <chpi at execpc.com> >Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 21:21:06 -0500 >Subject: Re: [Electro-Braille] Re: NIST Braille display > >Hi John, >Thanks for your explanation. I am now eager to try the prototype myself. My >one question is how many cells are "feelable" simultaneously. Since I read >with both hands and use three fingers on each, I would like to see at least >eight cells at a time, and I don't think I would mind the curved surface. >One suggestion is to have the speed controlled by a pressure-sensitive >device on the front of the display that could be pushed more or less firmly >by a thumb. >John >Computers to Help People, Inc. > > >To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: >Electro-Braille-unsubscribe at egroups.com > > > > > >-- >This mailing list is sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind, NFB. >To view or search an archive of messages for this list, go to: http://www.nfbnet.org >For more information about the NFB, please call (410) 659-9314, point your >internet browser to http://www.nfb.org or Telnet to nfbnet.org. > > -- Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV Voice mail: 877-791-5298 Email: davros at ycardz.com
