[gui-talk] Orbit Research Group & TBG announce project for low cost braille display.

[David Andrews]

Hi:

Well, Orbit Research is of course the iBill 
folks, and the DAISY Consortium and Perkins and 
others are behind the Transforming Braille Group.

Dave

At 08:40 AM 8/11/2014, you wrote:
>I'm impressed that this consortium is making a 
>fairly definitive promise to launch their 
>product by2016. Of course, that means it would 
>be available well after that.  Publishing Top 
>Tech Tidbits over the years, I have seen several 
>plans being announced to create more affordable 
>braille.  I hope this one does, but I have never 
>heard of these prople. Dean Facebook: 
>https://www.facebook.com/dean.martineau.7 
>Twitter: @deantopdot Subscribe to the free 
>weekly Top Tech Tidbits for Thursday at 
>http://www.flying-blind.com -----Original 
>Message----- From: gui-talk 
>[mailto:gui-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf 
>Of David Andrews via gui-talk Sent: Monday, 
>August 11, 2014 6:10 AM To: 
>david.andrews at nfbnet.org Subject: [gui-talk] 
>Orbit Research Group & TBG announce project for 
>low cost braille display. > >Orbit Research and 
>the Transforming Braille >Group Announce 
>Agreement to Produce Low-cost Refreshable 
>Braille Display > >WILMINGTON, DE ­ August 6, 
>2015  “ Orbit Research >LLC and the 
>Transforming Braille Group LLC are >pleased to 
>announce an agreement to produce a >low cost, 
>refreshable braille display. > >Orbit, an 
>international engineering company >based in 
>Wilmington, Delaware, specialising in >high 
>quality, low cost products for blind 
>and >partially sighted people, will be 
>undertaking >the research, development and 
>manufacture of this unique product. > >The 
>Transforming Braille Group LLC is a 
>global >consortium of organisations of and for 
>the blind >which is investing $1m in the 
>project. > >The objective of the project is to 
>produce a >stand-alone 20-cell refreshable 
>braille display >for $300 (or £200) which 
>will bring refreshable >braille within the reach 
>of children in >developing countries and will 
>provide libraries >in developed countries with a 
>viable alternative >to hard copy braille. The 
>product will be launched at CSUN in 2016. > >The 
>display is designed to work through USB 
>and >Bluetooth connectivity with 'smart' phones 
>and >tablets. It is not intended to compete with 
>high >specification refreshable braille 
>display >already on the market, primarily used 
>in >education and employment but is intended 
>to >bring braille displayed e-books to a wide 
>audience at an economical price. > >"The 
>agreement with TBG is a landmark in our >journey 
>to develop and manufacture essential >products 
>at an affordable cost through the >application 
>of mainstream technology in unique >and 
>innovative waysâ€Â said Dr. Gina 
>Spagnoli, >Orbit Researcch̢۪s 
>Founder.  “While each of >our previous vious 
>products has brought a multi-fold >improvement 
>in the state of the art in terms 
>of >performance, cost, size and features, we 
>are >thrilled that through this partnership with 
>TBG, >we will be able to offer a game-changing 
>product >that will impact the daily lives of 
>millions of >blind people across the 
>worldâ€Â > >TBG President, Keevin Carey said: 
>"At last we >have a technology which will 
>guarantee the >survival of braille. It has been 
>my >long-standing, publicly stated objective to 
>find >a disruptive technology which will 
>radically >force down the cost of refreshable 
>braille so >that the world's digital content 
>becomes >available in a tactile format. This new 
>device >will bring braille within the price 
>range of >educators in developing countries and 
>will >enable most blind people to access e-books 
>and >other internet material without resorting 
>to specialist libraries." > >TBG estimates that 
>its new product will retail >at a unit cost less 
>than 20% of the current market price. > >Contact 
>details: >Kevin Carey, President, >Transforming 
>Braille Group LLC >Tel:  +44(0)1273 
>834321 >Email: 
><mailto:humanity at atlas.co.uk>humanity at atlas.co.uk 
>  >www.Transformingbraille.org  (under 
>construction) > >Carla Morris >Orbit Research 
>LLC >Tel:  1-888-606-7248 >Email: 
><mailto:morris.carla at orbitresearch.com>morris.carla at orbitresearch.com  
> >www.orbitresearch.com >

         David Andrews and long white cane Harry.
E-Mail:  dandrews at visi.com or david.andrews at nfbnet.org