Communications of the ACM
Stanford Engineer Produces Free Braille-Writer App
Researchers at Stanford University say an iPad app they developed is the world's first Braille writing platform designed for a tablet computer.
Credit: Sohan Dharmaraja
Stanford University researchers have developed iBrailler Notes, an iPad app they say is the world's first Braille writing platform designed for a tablet computer.
To locate keys, users hold their fingertips anywhere on the glass surface of an iPad, and iBrailler Notes then draws the keys around the fingers.
The app is similar to a traditional Braille writer in that it uses a series of eight keys. If the user gets disoriented and loses track of the keys, they can recalibrate the app by lifting their hands off the glass and putting them down again. The app will automatically orient the keys to the fingertips' new position.
iBrailler Notes also includes an undo and redo function, which requires a clockwise or counterclockwise twist of a single fingertip. The app also provides search results by speech for users who would otherwise have no way to read the results.
In addition, the app accommodates multiple Braille formats, including mathematics, scientific, and other languages.
"The iBrailler is the fastest, most capable Braille writer out there," says Stanford professor Adrian Lew. The basic version of the app is free.
From Stanford Report
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