Handhelds for the Blind?

A not-so Anonymous Reader asks: "Is there any possible way, a blind person can READ a handheld like a simputer. I know there are text-to-voice converters, but really you can't beat reading. If you disagree with this, think about having a Physics passage or a complex sentence read out to you. I am sure it would be much more difficult to comprehend it that way then to read it. There are braille readers available, but none have been designed to be fit into a handheld device, until now. Most of them are in fact rather large. I would like to know if there are any projects that right now aim at fulfilling this void. Similarly, is there a way a blind person can input stuff into a handheld using braille input. Are there braille enabled handhelds. Is there any way a blind person can use it effectively. Do handhelds support accessibility standards?"

"I am now working at making a mall-lightweight piezoelectric display that can be used to display braille information and also take in braille input. I plan on using a transparent display that would make it possible to use the handheld fully by both a disabled and a normal person. The problem is with the piezo's. though they are light they are very very fragile, and it seems nutty to use solenoids or servos in a handheld. Major priorities are right now in miniaturizing the thing and reducing the fragility of the entire assembly . Can anybody give us some info about how we go about doing this."

Comments

No one would use such a thing...

[ArcticChicken]

...because no one could afford one.

Well, maybe a few could, but not many.

I was completely stunned by how expensive even a measly 40 character Braille display unit for a home computer costs. They typically start at $4,000 (USD)! That's for 40 characters in a straight line! The 80 character ones cost at least $10,000 (USD)! Can't believe it? Here's a good link to various Braille display manufacturers.

These piezo-electric devices also have an apparently well-founded reputation for needing frequent servicing, and just in general not being durable.

So ... $10,000 for a straight line of Braille, consisting of 80 characters. The cells are either 6 x 2 dots, or 8 x 2 dots, and are distinct units. No graphics here! It sits on a desk all day and is still prone to problems. And you want to do what?

It's a nice idea, but unless you've got some super new technology to bring the price way down and the reliability way up, I'm not sure how well this would work.

For the record, I really wish these things were cheaper! It occurred to me a few weeks ago that Braille would solve a lot of my vision issues. I would love to be able to sit at my computer and keep my eyes closed ... but still be working. My eyes feel like crap after staring at a computer screen for 14 hours a day. The ability to use Braille would be so great I'd make a serious attempt at learning it. I realized that graphics are such a small part of the things I use that I could easily get by with only text most of the time. But the displays are just too expensive....