► We developed an electroactive polymer (EAP) based tubular Braille actuator. ► We produced anisotropic actuation strain by applying directionally different prestrain on the tubular EAP actuator wall ...through tube inflation and applied axial strain. ► The actuator prototype showed enough displacement to lift the Braille dot the required amount. ► The blocking force was found to be about 0.05N, which can be potentially improved by using appropriate actuator dimensions.
Electroactive polymer actuators stimulated by appropriate levels of electric field are particularly attractive for human-assist devices such as Braille. The development of a full page refreshable Braille display is very important for the integration of the visually impaired into the new era of communication. In this paper, development of a compact dielectric elastomer actuator suitable for Braille application is reported. The actuators are fabricated from commercially available silicone tubes. The tube has been rendered mechanically anisotropic through asymmetric levels of applied pretension in circumferential and axial directions in order to direct the actuation strain in the axial direction of the actuator. Key performance parameters, such as displacement, force, and response time of the actuator are investigated. The test results demonstrate the potential of the compact, lightweight, and low cost dielectric elastomer as actuators for a refreshable full page Braille display.
The traditional way of reading through Braille books is constraining the reading experience of blind or visually impaired (BVI) in the digital age. In order to improve the reading convenience of BVI, ...this paper proposes a low-cost and refreshable Braille display device, and solves the problems of high energy consumption and low latching force existing in existing devices. Further, the Braille display device was combined with the 3D Systems Touch device to develop an active Braille touch-reading system for digital reading of BVI with the help of the CHAI3D virtual environment. Firstly, according to the actual needs of BVI to touch and read the Braille dots, this paper utilizes the beam structure to provide a full latching function for the raised Braille dot without energy consumption. Through theoretical derivation and finite element analysis, the performance of the Braille dot actuator is optimized to provide sufficient feedback force and latching force for finger's touch-reading. Then, this paper designs a virtual Braille interactive environment based on the CHAI3D, and combines the sense of touch with audio to effectively improve the recognition accuracy and reading efficiency of BVI for Braille through the multi-modal presentation of Braille information. The performance test results of the device show that the average lifting force of the Braille dot actuator is 101.67 mN, the latching force is over 5 N, and the average refresh frequency is 17.1 Hz, which meets the touch-reading needs of BVI. User experiments show that the average accuracy rate of BVI subjects in identifying digitized Braille is 95.5%, and subjects have a high subjective evaluation of the system.
Students with visual impairments require Braille to support their reading and writing skills. The ability to read and write Braille is a fundamental skill that students need to master in the learning ...process. Therefore, it is necessary to know various barriers that can hinder Braille learning for students with visual impairments at different grade levels. We found 186 research articles after searching for keywords for factors hindering educational inclusion of students with visual impairments using Braille, Braille barriers, obstacles to the development of Braille in schools, and factors that hinder the use of Braille for instruction and assessment of students with visual impairments through online databases ERIC, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Springer Link. In this systematic review, 12 relevant articles met the inclusion criteria set out of 186 initial search results by reviewing the abstract part of the selected articles. We assessed the quality of these 12 selected articles using a mixed-method appraisal technique and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. This systematic review examined the barriers to learning Braille and its use in schools for instructing and assessing learners with visual impairments. This systematic review identified several obstacles that contribute to the spread and development of Braille in schools: (1) students who are blind or low vision who lack access, interest, and rely on voice; (2) school-related factors like a lack of inclusive curriculum, teachers’ lack of knowledge about Braille, and the scarcity of Braille printed resources; and (3) educational leadership–related factors: a lack of policy, a lack of Braille technologies, and insufficient research. Hence, educational experts, policymakers, and curriculum developers must consider the following factors while designing the curriculum and assessments for learners with visual impairments to ensure their inclusion in the least restrictive learning environment.
This study focuses on the lived experiences of students with blindness in learning and using Braille for academic purposes at Haramaya University, Ethiopia. A descriptive phenomenology design was ...employed, and eight students with blindness were purposefully selected to be the sample for this study. Data were collected using substantive interviews. A digital audio recorder was used to capture the voices of respondents. The data were translated into English using Google Docs and Google Translate (supported by VB audio virtual cable). Then, the data were coded, themed, and analyzed using QDA Miner Lite software. Thematic analysis was used to analyze collected data. There are three main themes and seven subthemes among students with blindness based on their actual experiences learning and using Braille for academic purposes. These are characteristics of blind students who have learned Braille and are using it for learning; contributing factors for knowing Braille and using it; benefits of using Braille; impacts of knowing but not using Braille for academic purposes; reasons for knowing but not using it for learning; factors influencing not learning using Braille; and characteristics of blind students who did not know Braille. The practical intersections of students with blindness knowledge of Braille and their use of it for academic purposes influence their lived experiences. The study encourages and advises administrators of academic programs, curriculum and software developers, and policymakers, including practitioners, to consider Braille interpretation service issues to increase participation and meet the needs of students with blindness during teaching–learning programs in the study area.
Towards a Universal Mathematical Braille Notation van Leendert, Annemiek; Doorman, Michiel; Drijvers, Paul ...
Journal of visual impairment & blindness,
03/2022, Letnik:
116, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Introduction: Across the world, mathematical expressions are represented very differently in braille. The aim of this study was (1) to gain an overall insight in mathematical braille notations and ...(2) to investigate how mathematical braille notations support braille readers in reading and comprehending mathematical expressions. Method: Twenty teachers from sixteen countries (thirteen European Union, EU, and three non-EU) were asked to transform 21 mathematical expressions and equations into the mathematical braille notation currently used by their braille readers. Three mathematical expressions were selected, and the transformed expressions in the different braille notations were qualitatively compared at braille and mathematical structure level. Results: The results illustrated that most mathematical braille notations use mathematical structures that either support braille readers in getting an overview of an expression—for example, by announcing the start and end of a fraction—or facilitate communication between braille readers and people who can see. Discussion: The method of comparing transformed expressions at structure level can be extended to other types of mathematical expressions and other mathematical braille notations. Agreement on the structure of different mathematical expressions can be a first step towards a universal mathematical braille notation. Implications for Practitioners: Mathematics teachers should be aware of and use the strengths of the mathematical braille notation and try to compensate for weaknesses of the notation in the support of braille readers.
The Georgia Library for Accessible Statewide Services (GLASS) is a network library of the National Library Service for Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) program, providing talking book and ...braille materials to Georgians with print impairments since 1931. GLASS is a unit of Georgia Public Library Service, which includes a regional library, a distribution center, and a subregional library. Starting in Jul 2016, GLASS became the second talking book library in the country to offer patrons no-cost access to Bookshare's e-book collection.
Braille character recognition(BCR) is a basic step in building and designing any Braille assistive technology. Each Braille character is represented by a 2 × 3 matrix of raised dots (called a cell), ...which can be read by touch. This study introduces a generalized recognition approach based on an ensemble of transfer learning models for BCR. The study experiments are performed on two benchmark English Braille datasets (handwritten Braille – Omniglot (HBO), and Braille character (BC)), and a new dataset of Arabic Braille characters collected by our group called Arabic Braille (AB). First, we investigate the performance of 17- transfer learning models on the three datasets. Then, we build three ensemble approaches based on majority voting from the most effective two, three, and four models in each dataset. The experimental results reveal that the ensemble of DarkNet-53, GoogleNet, SqueezeNet, and DenseNet-201 is a more generalizable ensemble approach for BCR. It achieves a higher F1 score and lesser generalization error (Etest) value than each individual transfer learning model. The F1 scores of the introduced ensemble reached 89.42%, 99.58%, and 97.11% on the HBO, BC, and AB datasets, respectively, with Etest values of 10.47%, 0.43%, and 3.23%. While the F1 scores of the DarkNet-53 which is the most effective single model on the three datasets are 87.54%, 99.14%, and 94.73, with Etest values of 12.79%, 0.85%, and 5.31%, respectively.
