The disclosed device is useful in the instruction and practice of braille. Combined with a computer or smartphone app, the device has application to assist the vision impaired with learning of braille and in the creation of art in the classroom and in remote settings.

A system enables interactive real-time refreshable tactile graphics and braille together enabling blind or visually impaired users to experience and interact with graphics and visual events live and in three dimensions. The tactile graphic display can set each pin in an array of pins to different intermediate heights, enabling users to experience topographical maps and other graphical elements such as shades and color represented as varying heights of pins. The system can simultaneously display high quality of tactile graphics and braille while allowing direct interaction with all digital media—providing real-time refreshable graphics and text in braille. The touch capability of the system enable users to point to any text on the graphic display and have it be instantly rendered in braille on the braille display, thus creating completely new paradigms for reading and creating content. The system further allows continuous monitoring of the touch data in real-time and updating the braille display with any corresponding text.

Disclosed is a braille display that is impact resistant and that employs a modular construction. The impact resistance is achieved, in part, by molded and resilient end caps. Each end cap includes a centrally positioned slit that functions in absorbing lateral impacts to the display. The impact resistance is further achieved by an over molded housing that is positioned about an associated USB connector. The modularity of the display is achieved by way of a subassembly that is releasably secured within the interior of a main housing. The subassembly, in turn, includes a series of cell compartments that are arranged in groups. Each group of cell compartments is controlled by an individual shift register. This allows a grouping cell compartments to be removed and replaced as needed without disturbing the remaining cell components.

Provided is a braille teaching material, and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a braille teaching material, and a method of manufacturing the same, wherein by magnetic force, a teaching tool is attached to a dot corresponding to a raised dot of braille among vertical dots and horizontal dots of braille, so that even braille beginners with undeveloped fingertip sensitivity are able to learn braille.

A braille reference card for a remote control is provided. The braille reference card includes a base that includes a plurality of regions. Each region of the plurality of regions includes at least one of a surface projection or at least one braille embossed character set of a plurality of braille embossed character sets. A position of the surface projection corresponds to a position of a button on the remote control. The at least one braille embossed character set is one of adjacent to the surface projection or on the surface projection. The at least one braille embossed character set indicates a functionality of the button that corresponds to the position of the surface projection. A surface area of the base is larger than a surface area of the button layout of the remote control. The at least one region corresponds to a multi-function button on the remote control.

A method comprises inputting an audio signal into a machine learning circuit to compress the audio signal into a sequence of actuator signals. The machine learning circuit being trained by: receiving a training set of acoustic signals and pre-processing the training set of acoustic signals into pre-processed audio data. The pre-processed audio data including at least a spectrogram. The training further includes training the machine learning circuit using the pre-processed audio data. The neural network has a cost function based on a reconstruction error and a plurality of constraints. The machine learning circuit generates a sequence of haptic cues corresponding to the audio input. The sequence of haptic cues is transmitted to a plurality of cutaneous actuators to generate a sequence of haptic outputs.

The present invention is directed to a haptic system of rotating cylindrical shafts topped with caps to create a virtual sensation of Braille text by integrating a microprocessor with microdrive motors. The micro drive's shafts are crowned with plastic cylindrical caps, the top face of which are precisely flush or level with the device's display surface thereby emulating the standard diameter and feel of a Braille dot or Braille space in two dimensions. It is the rotation of the drive's shaft that spins the caps and simulates the sensation of a Braille dot that is felt with the fingertips. This sensation of a two dimensional rotating dot is the result of the top face of the capped shafts positioned flush with the device's display surface. Motors that alternate between rotating shafts and shafts at rest produce Braille cell dots and spaces, respectively.

This patent describes magnetic Braille cell actuator structures which include Braille pin movement and latching mechanisms. In one example, the Braille pin can be kept at reading position all time by a small force spring and latching of Braille pin can be realized by controlling movement of a latching bar underneath the Braille pin by a combination of electromagnet and permanent magnets working together. In a second example, the Braille pin can be moved between reading and rest positions through the repulsive and attractive interaction between a programmable magnet and a permanent magnet; while the latching of Braille pin is through the jumping and tilting action of the Braille pin onto a latching stage through the horizontal and vertical interactive magnetic forces. The unique magnetic Braille pin movement and latching mechanism enables very low power consumption of Braille display while Braille pin matching the standard spacing.

An interactive braille display system includes a processor and a display unit in electronic communication with the processor. The display unit includes a braille cell unit and an interactive unit in physical contact with the braille cell unit. The interactive unit includes a surface layer for displaying braille information and sensing tactile contact by a user. The interactive unit also includes a subsurface layer in physical communication with the surface layer, the subsurface layer including electrodes for detecting a capacitance change caused by the tactile contact by the user. The capacitance change corresponds to a position of the tactile contact by the user.

Provided is a method of providing information from a first device to a second device. The method includes: receiving message information by the second device, the message information comprising a text, a geometric figure, or a symbol that is input into the first device; transforming the message information into a tactile signal; and actuating an operator to provide tactile information according to the tactile signal. The operator includes at least one cell and provides the tactile information in the form of handwriting or vibration to a user of the second device, by operating the at least one cell sequentially. The operator provides the tactile information by sequentially or simultaneously applying/removing an external electric field to/from each of the cells according to the tactile signal. The operator includes at least one tactile sensation provider, that contacts the user of the second device, including polarizable or piezoelectric particles distributed in a matrix.