Basically, the subject line says it all. In my line of work, I need to tackle a lot of graphics like maps of various dimentions. any established or experemental braille displays available out there to deal with this kind of thing? or any other way of tackling this?
By Gokul, 26 June, 2024
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Assistive Technology
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Tactile Graphical Displays
Orbit Research has the Graphiti and Graphiti Plus. These are commercially available. The Graphiti has a 60x4 dot grid. The Graphiti Plus has the same grid plus a 40 cell display. Unfortunately while Orbit has promised the Graphiti Plus will be able to display images in real time sent to it over HDMI same as a monitor, this has not been released yet. So you have to manually save images to the device such as by using an sd card. It is doable but tedious.
I think the older Graphiti may have working HDMI but if you need ral time access like a monitor you may want to ask.
The other one is from Dot, the DotPad. (Dot is the company that makes the Dot Watch the Braille smart watch.) However the best I can tell it isn't commercially available. A few lucky people have them but it seems you can't just put in an order and get one.
APH is also working on a tactile graphics display. This is also still in prototype and we can't order it either.
Is Monarch one of these?
I think it is. As long as money is no object.
Monarch
If memory serves Monarch is the name of APH's project/device.... It could have the most potential of all since it can also display multiple lines of Braille, but first they need to ship it.
Isn't it already out?
Here:
https://www.aph.org/soaring-to-new-heights-a-professionals-perspective-on-the-monarch/
Monarch
I understand there are units around for testing. According to the article you linked too it says, "The Monarch will be publicly available in September and eligible for purchase with Federal Quota funds. Stay tuned to the website, APH News, and your email
inbox for more information on this upcoming device."
Which is more current than any information I had before, thanks. I still would not call that shipping now though.
I was lazy
I just read the date, yesterday. I should have gotten AI to summerise! You would think I would know better.
Tactipad
This device seem to do at least part of what you (and I) are both looking for. Hoowever its status is not very clear, it was available back then but for quite awhile we didn't have any price displaied but when I checked three days ago it seems to be available again. It's way more affordable than any of the solutions / coming prototypes mentioned above too, although I just read the documentation and didn't bother asking for possibilities of demo.
the long wait for a tactile graphics pad
Many engineers have known about the desire and the need for large tacticle displays, but the economics are tough. The devices are tricky to manufacture. As you know, assistive technology tends to be wildly expensive, and tactile displays are no exception. There are only about 100,000 to 150,000 people in the U.S. who know Braille, and only a small fraction of those people would ever be reached. And to top it off, far more sighted people talk about the need for accessibility and applaud efforts to improve accessibility, but then don't do anything to get properly engaged.
I should mention that I'm sighted, but I have some Braille typing skills, and when I'm in practice--which isn't true today--I do an okay job reading Braille slowly by sight.
The Graphiti is probably the best-known device, but from what I've heard it's very expensive. A friend of mine who tests just about every new bit of tech that comes out wasn't impressed by the device, but I still think it has potential.
Alex Russomano and the team at NewHaptics in Michigan have been working on an alternative to standard mechanical Braille cells for some time. They attended CSUN earlier this year, but I wasn't able to go, unfortunately. Here's the website for NewHaptics: NewHaptics.
When I spent some time in the Dot Corporation booth at CSUN in 2020 I was impressed by their Braille cells. The cells are very light, and they click together like Lego bricks. Potentially, a Braille or graphics display of just about any size could be created with their technology.
I have a Dot Watch, which has just four cells. When I showed the watch to friends reviews were mixed: reading the Braille can sometimes press one of the dots down. The cells are covered by a thin, flexible layer of plastic to keep dirt from getting in, but the plastic also affects the feel of the cells.
There are haptic devices that could be used to create tactile graphics over arbitrarily large areas, but those haptic devices tend to be very expensive.
A few years ago I purchased and tested a TanvasTouch haptic touch screen. It's cool, but it was expensive. The design would have to be modified to be properly useful. If I can dig up the TanvasTouch screen and get it running again, I may create a Medium post or a YouTube video about it.
Dot Braille Cells
According to Dot Inc, the Dot Pad uses new and improved cells than the Dot Watch has. I wish they'd make a new Dot Watch with the new cells. Anyway it seems we're so close but yet so far away.