This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project investigates the development of a type of flat panel display for communication with the blind. The main component of this technology is a magnetic Braille Dot Module (BDM) composed of a proprietary blend of polymers and magnetic materials, 30 by 60 dots, for multi-line Refreshable Braille Displays (RBDs). Current RBDs, based on piezoelectric technology and separate Braille cells, have many inherent problems: numerous parts to maintain, high power consumption, heat build up, constraints that preclude graphics, difficult assembly process, expensive, and costly repair. They are also heavy, bulky, and quite fragile. These factors severely limit the display area that can be manufactured. Development of a magnetic BDM, with large-scale integration (LSI) of braille cells with sweep bar activation, will eliminate the majority of these problems and reduce costs dramatically. Magnetic BDM technology will revolutionize the Braille display industry. BDMs with multi-line and multi-column display areas offer the industry a much needed solution to the many technical difficulties found in RBDs composed of separate Braille cells. This innovation will provide components to enhance current product lines with dramatic cost reductions. It will also offer the potential for entirely new applications such as Braille text messages on cell phones
