New Reader Soon May Give The Blind Access To E-Books - Brief Article

Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Nov, 2000

NIST recently unveiled the second generation of a device that soon may bring the benefits of electronic books to the blind.

The NIST Braille reader, which transforms the text of e-books into the patterns of raised dots used by sightless persons to read, also can be used for reviewing e-mail, browsing the World Wide Web and other text-based applications. The latest version of the reader incorporates several design improvements from the prototype tested during the past year.

For example, many blind and visually impaired people prefer to read Braille using several fingers, and the original design only allowed for reading with a single finger. The new Braille reader also is more compact and mechanically simpler than the original.

The NIST reader employs software to translate text into Braille, and features variable speed that allows people to read faster or slower, or to pause the device.

NIST estimates that the reader could be manufactured for about $1000. Braille readers currently on the market carry price tags as high as $15 000. Much of the cost savings result from the fact that the new NIST reader uses only three actuators--the mechanical devices that form Braille letters. Commercial Braille readers usually have hundreds of actuators.

NIST is seeking to transfer the technology to the private sector, where it can be commercialized.