Refreshable Braille Tablet

Refreshable Braille Tablet 

The refreshable braille tablet is just like it sounds, a braille tablet that can be refreshed!  It is a device that can allow those who read braille, to do so in a more convenient manner, well at least compared to computers that print braille.  

There is a team of researchers at the University of Michigan who are currently in the process of creating a braille tablet that has multiple lines of braille (pictured above).  When they are successful, it is their goal to offer the product at a lower price than current braille tablets.

Current braille tablets only present one line of text at time, which of course is not too convenient, and they cost thousands of dollars!!! The team from University of Michigan according to the article (link at the end of this post) would want to offer the product for less than $1000. The price is still high, but maybe at this price more libraries would be able to afford at least one braille tablet.  

Below is a video of the researchers speaking about the product.  

Source: https://www.technologyreview.com/s/545301/in-pursuit-of-an-affordable-tablet-for-the-blind/

**** Currently some libraries, such as the Seattle Public Library, offer a braille tablet to users, but due to the price of the device, it is not a service all can afford to offer.  Also according to the library website, the tablet only shows 65 characters at a time.

http://www.spl.org/audiences/library-equal-access-program-(leap)/adaptive-equipment