SBIR-STTR Award

In this SBIR project, NewHaptics seeks to increase braille literacy rates and improve educational opportunities in STEM related subjects for the blind by creating a low-cost full-page braille and graphical tactile display. Access to braille and graphical content (e.g. graphs, maps, charts) in an electronic form is essential for literacy and proficiency in science and other math-related subjects. The high cost and limited capability of current single-line refreshable braille displays represents a significant accessibility barrier for people who are blind, and places blind students at a significant disadvantage in today's increasingly digital classroom. NewHaptics is developing microfluidic technology that makes the creation of a low-cost full-page display possible. Microfluidic circuits are employed to modulate air pressure to raise and lower tactile bubbles on a flat surface. The circuits and bubbles are integrated together in a soft substrate, thus realizing a highly manufacturable and low-cost design. This SBIR project aims to scale down microfluidic circuits and integrate them with tactile bubbles in a microfluidic chip according to braille specifications. In Phase II, we will work closely with potential users and partners in the blind community on final product development. The product will enable true digital interaction using the sense of touch and enhance the quality of life of blind Americans by improving opportunities in education, and ultimately their employment success and independence.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
NARRATIVE This project will significantly reduce the burden of accessing information for the 1.4 million blind people in the United States by making a full page of braille text and tactile graphics available in a device resembling a tablet computer. Such a display will provide increased access to braille and enable blind students to read digitized spatial content including mathematical equations, graphs, and figures with their fingers, creating parity with their sighted counterparts interested in STEM fields. Our product will improve braille literacy, opportunities in STEM fields, and ultimately the employment success and independence of blind Americans.

Project Terms:
Adult; adulthood; Adult Human; 21+ years old; Air Pressure; Behavior; Cell Body; Cells; youngster; childrens'; children; Children (0-21); Child Youth; 0-11 years old; Child; Communities; Disadvantaged; Educational aspects; Education; Employment; Fingers; Goals; Learning; literacy; Logic; Maps; Math; Mathematics; Memory; Professional Positions; Jobs; Occupations; parity; Patents; Legal patent; Printing; Production; QOL; Quality of life; Reading; Sales; Science; secondary education; Secondary Schools; Standardization; Students; Tablets; Technology; Testing; Textbooks; Time; United States; visual function; Sight; Vision; Work; pricing; Price; falls; braille; base; density; improved; Surface; Phase; Series; Individual; Liquid substance; liquid; fluid; Tactile; Source; Visually Impaired Persons; visually impaired people; blind person; blind people; blind individual; interest; Equation; American; success; Speed; novel; Graph; technological innovation; Devices; Reporting; Communications aid for the blind; blind aid; Touch sensation; tactile sensation; Touch; Provider; µfluidic; Microfluidics; Address; Lab-On-A-Chips; Lab On a Chip; Microfluidic Microchips; microfluidic chip; Microfluidic Lab-On-A-Chip; Microfluidic Device; Improve Access; Reader; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; Small Business Innovation Research; SBIR; Text; cost; digital; design; designing; Braille Display; Outcome; blind; Population; tactile display; commercial application; product development; STEM career; science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce; science, technology, engineering and mathematics career; science, technology, engineering and math workforce; science, technology, engineering and math career; STEM workforce; STEM field; science, technology, engineering and mathematics major; science, technology, engineering and mathematics field; science, technology, engineering and mathematics discipline; science, technology, engineering and mathematics course; science, technology, engineering and mathematics class; science, technology, engineering and math major; science, technology, engineering and math field; science, technology, engineering and math discipline; science, technology, engineering and math course; science, technology, engineering and math class; STEM major; STEM discipline; STEM course; STEM class; mathematical sciences; mathematic sciences; math sciences; Tablet Computer; tablet device; Visually Impaired Students; Blind Students; microfluidic technology; µfluidic technology; off-patent

The goal of this SBIR project is to deliver a multiline refreshable braille and tactile graphics display to the U.S. market. Our envisioned product is a tablet-like device that enables new forms of touch-in, touch-out interaction between blind people and braille and tactile graphics. Thousands of tiny tactile pins in a grid at braille spacing will be selectively and interactively raised on a multi-touch sensing surface. Our device will play a critical role in establishing equity in information access for blind people, particularly in education. It will reduce the reliance on hardcopy and static, physical media that currently limit a blind student's independence and success. NewHaptics has developed microfluidic technology that allows a small number of electronic valves to individually address and control the thousands of actuators and moving pins in a low-cost and highly manufacturable product. Fluid-based circuits in a tiny soft silicone chip are employed to raise and lower bubble actuators using a one-to-many conversion between an electronic valve and bubbles. Our product will enable true digital interaction using the sense of touch and enhance the quality of life of blind Americans by improving opportunities in education, and ultimately their employment success and independence.

Public Health Relevance Statement:
NARRATIVE This project will significantly reduce the burden of accessing information for the 1.5 million blind people in the United States by making multiline braille text and tactile graphics available in a device resembling a tablet computer. Such a display will provide increased access to braille and enable blind students to read digitized spatial content including mathematical equations, graphs, and figures with their fingers, creating parity with their sighted counterparts interested in STEM fields. Our product will improve braille literacy, opportunities in STEM fields, and ultimately the employment success and independence of blind Americans.

Project Terms:
Adult; 21+ years old; Adult Human; adulthood; Air; Education; Educational aspects; Employment; Fingers; Goals; Human; Modern Man; Industry; literacy; Maps; Mathematics; Math; Noise; Jobs; Professional Positions; Occupations; parity; Patents; Legal patent; Play; pressure; QOL; Quality of life; Ramp; Reading; social role; Role; Sales; Silicones; Software; Computer software; Students; Tablets; Technology; Testing; Time; United States; Vision; Sight; visual function; Measures; braille; base; density; improved; Surface; Phase; Ensure; Individual; Collaborations; fluid; liquid; Liquid substance; tool; Hour; Tactile; System; blind individual; blind people; blind person; visually impaired people; Visually Impaired Persons; interest; Equation; American; Performance; success; Participant; Graph; Devices; Touch; tactile sensation; Touch sensation; Sampling; portability; µfluidic; Microfluidics; Address; Lab On a Chip; Lab-On-A-Chips; Microfluidic Device; Microfluidic Lab-On-A-Chip; microfluidic chip; Microfluidic Microchips; Information and Media; Reader; Resolution; Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR; Small Business Innovation Research; Text; Development; developmental; cost; digital; design; designing; touchscreen; touch panel; touch screen; touch screen panel; touchscreen panel; manufacturing process; blind; Population; innovation; innovate; innovative; tactile display; usability; commercial application; prototype; phase 1 study; Phase I Study; phase 2 study; phase II study; STEM career; STEM workforce; science, technology, engineering and math career; science, technology, engineering and math workforce; science, technology, engineering and mathematics career; science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce; STEM field; STEM class; STEM course; STEM discipline; STEM major; science, technology, engineering and math class; science, technology, engineering and math course; science, technology, engineering and math discipline; science, technology, engineering and math field; science, technology, engineering and math major; science, technology, engineering and mathematics class; science, technology, engineering and mathematics course; science, technology, engineering and mathematics discipline; science, technology, engineering and mathematics field; science, technology, engineering and mathematics major; K-12 Education; K-12 classroom; K-12 level; K12 classroom; K12 education; K12 level; mathematical sciences; math sciences; mathematic sciences; Tablet Computer; tablet device; professional atmosphere; job environment; work atmosphere; work environment; workplace climate; workplace environment; educational atmosphere; classroom environment; college atmosphere; collegial atmosphere; collegiate atmosphere; education atmosphere; educational environment; intellectual atmosphere; learning atmosphere; learning environment; school atmosphere; school climate; training atmosphere; university atmosphere; Visually Impaired Students; Blind Students; microfluidic technology; µfluidic technology