PRESENT-DAY PATENT- A PREVIEW

The visually-challenged people too can read or write text and numbers! Thanks to the braille system, which enables them to perceive or write the alphabets, punctuations or numbers through the organized embossed dots on papers, which can be sensed by touch. Each braille character is represented by a braille cell, consisting of six dots arranged differently in a  cell matrix and they form 63 characters. But, how can the visually-challenged read the digital text from a computer? It is through the braille cell display device, also known as the braille terminal.  The braille terminal converts the digital information into braille characters and accordingly, raises the pins on it to enable sensing and reading. A number of braille cell displays, be it portable or larger ones, have become largely commercial. However, handy devices with a smaller number of braille cells are always anticipated for light-weight carrying. Two Indian inventors, Simerneet Singh and Gurmeet Kaur have come up with a very small single braille cell display device, which can allow natural braille reading of long textual contents with refreshing ability. As per the invention, the visually-challenged person can wear the computer or mobile- connected proposed device in their fingertip and sense the raised pins on the device forming the braille character. Actually, the digital text is buffered and sent to the display device one by one based on the user’s preference of reading the previous or the next character. The user’s preference has been achieved by moving the finger either to the left or to the right side of the display in a preset direction. The movement is sensed by a detecting means, followed by a microcontroller. In this way, the natural reading experience has been made possible for the visually-challenged. Similar inventions to upgrade braille reading or writing with improved portability for use in varied applications is mandated, so as to support the visually-challenged in removing their academic barriers.