Braille Embosser (Rapid Prototyping)
Role: Designer
Timeline: Sep 2021 - Dec 2021
Team: 3 Designers
Tools: Arduino, 3D Printing, Laser-cutting
Keywords: Physical Computing, Assistive Technology, Rapid Prototype
Overview
The objective of this project is to shorten the communication gap between English readers and Braille readers by designing a low-cost and portable Braille embosser that allows English readers to print out Braille easily onto a surface that can be sticked on everyday objects for people with visual impairments to utilize. The key components of a portable Braille printer in this project will be categorized into software development and hardware implementation.
Primary features
The machine will be able to print out the translated Braille onto a surface. The Braille printer will have a needle, which can be used to print on thick tape. The user can take out the tape and stick it anywhere he/she wants, so that a person with a disability can read the Braille by touching the indentation marks on the sticker.
Printer Head
The needle attached to the printer head will be actuated to leave indentation marks on papers and stickers
Translator
Users can type English phrases through a text editor. The machine will translate that input text into Braille
Bearing Structure
The machine can print on different types of physical interface by changing the tapes.
Design
Design Goal:
The goal of the design is to build an interactive and assistive technology for users who are visually impaired and users with normal vision. The investigation of the portable and affordable Braille printers in the previous sections has illustrated that the balance between the convenience of automatic technology and the availability of product is hard to preserve. Another major component of the design goal is to have the printer system fully automated, integrating an x-y plotter structure driven by stepper motors lifting up an embossing head that moves in accordance with the serial communication of the position vectors of each Braille dot. Finally, the interface and physical structure of the Braille printer should be designed to meet an ideal aesthetic requirements and moderate level of portability.
Design Evolutions and Prototype Iterations:
Printer Head
Bearing Structure
Final result & Evaluation
Video Demo
Reflection
Issues and Challenges:
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Current indentation is less significant than the embossing done by a manual stylus from a professional Braille kit.
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Lack of customized and standardized stylus to be attached to the solenoid perfectly and stably.
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Need to design a 3D printed structure that can connect the solenoid to a metal or stainless steel stylus to create a stronger and more salient embossing mark.
Current printing mechanism and movement of the machine are very precise and responsive, allowing several English letters to be translated into Braille characters instantly and printed out in less than one minute. And the machine manages to deliver the printing job properly on different types of materials.
Overall, the implementation of the final prototype accomplished the initial design goals of a Braille sticker printer under the limitation of the available materials and techniques. The machine preserves the ambition of designing an accessible assistive technology and the hope of facilitating the construction of a more inclusive community. With further investment into the design modification and development of the machine, it will surely become an adequate and fully stabilized tool for more practical uses.
Final Report
The complete version of project final report with detailed documentation of design processes can be found here.