Braille E-Reader
Live in Touch
Interface Exploration: http://invis.io/P770NS9C
Full Report: http://issuu.com/haleyconover/docs/braille_e-reader
Live in Touch
Interface Exploration: http://invis.io/P770NS9C
Full Report: http://issuu.com/haleyconover/docs/braille_e-reader
The Problem: As we move into an increasingly digital world, physical artifacts of knowledge are decreasing in prevalence. While this compression process does provide freedom from the clutter of these artifacts, and ever expanding access to any information at anytime, it also serves as a barrier to those who rely on tactility as a means of understanding the world. There is a growing trend towards touch screens in digital interfaces due to their durability, perceived ease of use, and lack of deteriorating mechanical parts. While understandable from an operating and maintenance perspective, this technology fails to account for the portion of the global population which suffers from visual impairment or blindness, and who rely on tactile clues to effectively interact with the world.
The Users: .78% of Americans suffer from visual impairment or blindness, and while that may seem to be a small percentage, it represents 3.4 million individuals who are hindered from interacting with touch screen technologies. As nations categorize blindness on different criteria, it is difficult to determine the exact number of visually impaired globally, but the number is too large to ignore both as a market segment and as individuals who deserve to access and contribute to the global knowledge pool.
The Focus: While considering touch screen interfaces that could be improved by a tactile component, I became somewhat intimidated by the scope of options and controls that would have to be accounted for in a device such as an iPad or a smart phone. Additionally, the diverse applications available on these devices would likely be responsible for programming their own tactile interfaces. I fear that there would not be sufficient interest in tackling this problem with the initial launch of a tactile smart phone or iPad to make the device adequately useful or unique to a visually impaired user. Thus, I decided to focus my scope to a device that has a standard set of displayed information and required input, specifically the e-reader.
The Solution: A brail based e-reader that provides visually impaired users the ability to easily access written text in diverse environments.
Justification: The primary alternative method for accessing texts require a reader (recorded or in person) which serves as a diluting intermediary between the pure text and the listener. Additionally, braille books are substantially larger then the original text, making reading expensive and inconvenient for causal practice, as well as difficult to enjoy when on the go.
The Users: .78% of Americans suffer from visual impairment or blindness, and while that may seem to be a small percentage, it represents 3.4 million individuals who are hindered from interacting with touch screen technologies. As nations categorize blindness on different criteria, it is difficult to determine the exact number of visually impaired globally, but the number is too large to ignore both as a market segment and as individuals who deserve to access and contribute to the global knowledge pool.
The Focus: While considering touch screen interfaces that could be improved by a tactile component, I became somewhat intimidated by the scope of options and controls that would have to be accounted for in a device such as an iPad or a smart phone. Additionally, the diverse applications available on these devices would likely be responsible for programming their own tactile interfaces. I fear that there would not be sufficient interest in tackling this problem with the initial launch of a tactile smart phone or iPad to make the device adequately useful or unique to a visually impaired user. Thus, I decided to focus my scope to a device that has a standard set of displayed information and required input, specifically the e-reader.
The Solution: A brail based e-reader that provides visually impaired users the ability to easily access written text in diverse environments.
Justification: The primary alternative method for accessing texts require a reader (recorded or in person) which serves as a diluting intermediary between the pure text and the listener. Additionally, braille books are substantially larger then the original text, making reading expensive and inconvenient for causal practice, as well as difficult to enjoy when on the go.
A Braille book compared to its plain text counterpart.
Design Process: The first element which caught my attention was the physical body of the device. While the mechanical processes necessary to produce Braille on a tablet is not strictly critical for this exercise, I feel that it has a strong potential impact on what the surface of the screen would be like, whether characters could exist anywhere or were limited in fixed, on-screen locations, and finally how those characters would be interacted with.
Original concept for exposed, open chamber pins as inspired by a Refreshable Braille Display (top right). Lowered pins create an uneven texture.
Left: In order to provide a smoother texture, I considered a flexible membrane which could be applied over the pins in order to create the appropriate characters. However, material selection to ensure that the membrane would not wear over time may prove difficult.
Right: The top panel discusses the potential uneven texture presented by variable height pins. I also began to consider the fact that debris within the exposed chambers could lead to longevity concerns. The bottom panel expresses a closed chamber system which would provide a flat surface when the chamber was not engaged.
Right: The top panel discusses the potential uneven texture presented by variable height pins. I also began to consider the fact that debris within the exposed chambers could lead to longevity concerns. The bottom panel expresses a closed chamber system which would provide a flat surface when the chamber was not engaged.
For my purposes, I decided to employ fixed, closed cells which can be activated to create the appropriate characters. Though it is possible that technology exists for a more freeform tactile display, a fixed cell system provides a uniform experience for the reader and a standard template for the service provider. For navigation, I felt that direct interaction with the Braille characters was the most intuitive means of selecting links, essentially a three dimensional touch screen. By applying pressure to a linked term, it is selected and the user is redirected to the appropriate page.
In order to alert users that a term is selectable, I decided to employ the same method used to denote links visually, an underline.
In order to alert users that a term is selectable, I decided to employ the same method used to denote links visually, an underline.
Left: A visual underline, inspiration for the tactile underline as a way to denote links.
Right: A generic fixed cell layout with link bars. Cells become raised when activated producing the necessary Braille characters.
Right: A generic fixed cell layout with link bars. Cells become raised when activated producing the necessary Braille characters.
I realized after applying the digital image of a link bar that it would have to be segmented, as a link is not always represented by a full line of text. I considered having the segments be the same length as a character, however this does not account for the disruption caused by spaces. As a result, I determined that each segment of the link bar would have to be the length of a single dot in order to accurately represent the link.
Considerations of the link bar's segmentation in relation to character length.
Library: Contains all purchased or downloaded books and associated, recorded notes.
Browse
Browse: Allows the user, via wifi connection, to look for additional titles for download and purchase.
Notes
Notes: The user is able to annotate text by selecting words in the same manner as selecting links and the recording notes via the keyboard.
Overall, development of this device offeres a unique opportunity to provide Braille readers with easy access to millions of portable texts while forcing designers to consider the unique variations between a visual and tactile interface. As nothing can be assumed, direct inclusion of visually impaired users and developers would be essential throughout development in order to produce a device that is both practical and enjoyable to use.
Further, sufficient provider buy-in in the form of book conversion, consideration of how users would connect their personal information to that of the provider in order to make purchases, as well as maintenance of support telecommunication and web services for both visually impaired and sighted users, is essential both for the production of a complete product, as well as out of respect for the future users.
Further, sufficient provider buy-in in the form of book conversion, consideration of how users would connect their personal information to that of the provider in order to make purchases, as well as maintenance of support telecommunication and web services for both visually impaired and sighted users, is essential both for the production of a complete product, as well as out of respect for the future users.
