http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/ Engadget Comments for NC State's refreshable Braille display could revolutionize reading for the blind http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Apr 1st 2010 5:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
so in the end, maybe everyone wins?]]>Apr 1st 2010 5:12AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
I was under the impression most blind computer users used screen reading software. Surely that is more convenient, as it requires no extra hardware than the PC they're already using.

]]>Apr 1st 2010 5:26AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/No, that is inconvenient; you always need sound, headphones can be a bother, and skipping ahead isn't as easy as it is when reading, be it braille or latin alphabetic text. And try clicking a link while using a screenreader, it's not impossible but it'd make more sense just to tap a word on your braille screen.]]>Apr 1st 2010 6:24AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/I'm not saying I have all the answers... in fact, this is the first time I've really considered the topic much at all!

Let's face it, the biggest inconvenience is being blind in the first place. You're never going to get it as easy as everyone else. Nothing is going to be 'ideal'. But the problems you mention can be worked around.

I'm sure 90% of PCs have sound, and I have headphones in all day while working at my PC.

Skipping and clicking could be assigned actions like anything else. Be it speech recognition or hitting spacebar to follow a link, or clicking a mouse. I don't know what peripherals a blind person has to be honest.

My point, that I didn't make clear, was get something right without needing extra hardware opens up nearly every PC to blind people if they need it, not just their own at home that they've set up specially with extra expense.

This is all with reference to web browsing tho. I can see how a dedicated Braille ebook reader would be good, but the top priorities for that should be portability and battery life. Once a decent device like that existed, making it work as an interactive PC peripheral would be a bonus.]]>Apr 1st 2010 6:40AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/No, it's obvious. There have already been limited-line-count braille terminals before, and I've seen piston-raising haptic displays at siggraph for more than 10 years.

The particular mechanical approach may be novel, though.]]>Apr 1st 2010 3:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Yes, but all those ways of using the web are very sensitive timing-wise, e.g. to follow a link you'd have to hit spacebar before your screenreader reads the next one. Whereas if you use a braille-display combined with some touch technology, it's the same as using 'normal' alphabetic text, you can do it at your own pace.]]>Apr 1st 2010 7:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
I can also see a big need for a scanner that does on-the-fly conversion to a format (text to speech or braille) that a blind person could use to read stuff like airline tickets and othr stuff that is just handed to them.

This technology wpuld seem to be one more step in the right direction.]]>Apr 1st 2010 5:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/> the difference from reading a book yourself and having it read to you.

Maybe I'm just lazy, but now the infrastructure is there and the market is more mature, I'm going for more and more audio books. I can see, but I like books being read to me. Great for closing your eyes at night and listening, or just getting a book done while on the move.

Your scanner idea is a bit ambitious, but something like a high capacity colour barcode could easily convey enough information to a smartphone to read out, or a portable Braille ebook type thing. ]]>Apr 1st 2010 6:46AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
On the fly reading exists. Check out Kurzweil Educational Systems.]]>Apr 1st 2010 3:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
http://www.synapseadaptive.com/alva/Alva_Pro/alva_products.htm

However, I think these guys are going for a full page as opposed to just a line of refreshable braille. That could be sweet. It would be like having an interactive Tiger embosser. Nice.]]>Apr 1st 2010 9:41AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
I was thinking this must exist already. They have something like this in the movie "Sneakers".
]]>Apr 1st 2010 3:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Apr 1st 2010 10:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Apr 1st 2010 12:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Apr 1st 2010 3:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/
Lame.

If you had blind friends, they would be able to read this. If you do have blind friends, I hope they do read this.]]>Apr 1st 2010 3:52PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Apr 1st 2010 7:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/01/nc-states-refreshable-braille-display-could-revolutionize-readi/Apr 1st 2010 11:12PM