STEM II

~ Dr. Crowthers

STEM II with Science and Technical Writing involves the assistive technology project I worked on to help visually impaired people (VIPs). Along with Abigail Figueroa, Derek Desrosiers, Charuvi Singh, and Kruthi Gundu, we created a device that can take camera input and display text as braille on a refreshable braille display. Throughout this process, we learned to brainstorm, develop, and revise our project based on client feedback. Scroll down to read about our project from this course.

stem1

Diversifying Optical Technology (DOT.)

Problem Statement

Much of the outside world contains visual information conveyed through text. However, visually impaired people (VIPs) encounter significant challenges in accessing written information as many signs, menus, and posters do not have braille translations. Additionally, learning Braille from a young age aids with literacy, enhancing future life implications for VIPs. However, there is a lack of interactive educational devices for younger VIPs.

Engineering Goal

The objective is to design an assistive device for VIPs that uses optical character recognition (OCR) to take pictures of text in the environment. The device will then translate text from the image into Braille configurations and provide a tactile medium for the VIP to read the translated Braille. The device will be portable and can serve as an educational device for visually impaired adolescents to learn and interpret braille.

Design Approach

The chosen design features an electromagnetic refreshable braille display. The device used PCB boards to hold all of the electrical components of the device. Each of the braille modules rests on top of its respective smaller PCB boards and has six braille pins that raise up and down with electromagnets. Additionally, a camera is connected to an ESP32-S2 microprocessor, which powers the entire device.

The camera will take images from the environment, and use the Tessearct package to perform OCR and extract text. The text will be converted into braille and based on the pins that should be raised, the electromagnets will be activated and the braille pins will be raised. Future directions include completing device assembly and and addressing any remaining operating issues.

Design Study

Instruction Manual

Handout

Requirements

Background Research

Grant Proposal

Assistive Technology Fair Poster