LEBBVI: Laser Etching Books in Braille for Visually Impaired

Discipline: Interdisciplinary

Advisor: Chung Yong Chan

Being able to relax and enjoy a book is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Yet, it is not one that every person can enjoy. Individuals with visual impairments have to rely on other methods to take in the book medium such as audio transcriptions or through textile understanding using braille. Considering how large the portion of visually impaired people living is, one would imagine the availability of braille books to be large. This is not the case, as the means to do so are not widely available and the desire to serve this population is not present. The Laser Etching Books in Braille for Visually Impaired (LEBBVI) seeks to bridge this gap. LEBBVI provides an economically feasible way for writers, students, and ordinary individuals to translate text of different mediums into braille using Laser Etching on paper. The system is simple to use, and can even take in inputs on the fly with a keyboard if a user so desires. The use cases for the LEBBVI are endless, students are able to use it to learn, individuals with visually impaired family members can convert personal libraries into understandable text, and an underserved community can get more support.

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