Micromachined Braille Reader

Principal researcher

Project details

Start date: 01/10/2007
End date: 01/10/2010

Description: This project develops a low-cost, portable Braille display utilizing Polyvinylidene Floride (PVDF), an electro-active polymer, to create a novel, low-power, low-voltage bistable actuator. The dots in this display are produced with more force and easier to read. By using PVDF and silicon micromachining techniques, there is the potential for each Braille cell to cost $5 or less, as compared to about $35 for the current commercial offerings. This display should use less power, be cheaper to make, require a lower actuation voltage (thus reducing the size and cost of the control electronics), and be easier to scale to more letters than other current prototypes.

Other organisations involved in this project

Last updated: 02/04/2008