Technical development of an electromechanical braille labeler

Abstract

The work presented in this thesis concerns the development of an electromechanical device that prints labels in braille. For blind and visually impaired people, differentiating between similarly-shaped objects - CDs, medication bottles, food cans, etc. - is a challenge that can be solved by affixing braille labels to the surface of these items. However, the existing technology for making braille labels is either fully manual and slow, or too large to be portable. As a result of this identified need, the first prototype of a braille labeler was developed in the fall of 2008. However, several outstanding mechanical and design issues remained. During this thesis, the first prototype was tested with focus groups to identify these issues. These included the lack of a cutting mechanism for the tape, the uncomfortable shape and size of the device, and the ease of manufacturing of some components. A second prototype was designed and built, resolving these problems.