Hmmm. Ok, so Orbit might be out. I was thinking of an electro strip that has surface inlayed electrodes and would be made of either a hard plastic or glass. This would be similar to having an etched circuit board (2 sided) where the electrodes would be plated on and connected via thru-holes to the backplane. This would certainly make things a bit more robust. Another idea just now, the use of an older tech 7 segment display driver chip setup in such a way to be able to turn on and off dots as needed. This would also prevent ground loop issues between cell dots. Also, the current would not be DC (as such) but either pulsed DC (at high frequencies) or AC (also at high frequencies). This would make each dot easier to read and there wouldn’t be the constant charge sitting on the dots.
I guess those 3 years at Devry back in the mid 1980’s did me some good. Oh, and because the RaspberryPi has a 40 pin I/O strip, that can be used with other background programs to power the display and provide the needed data to the display itself. Btw, you see some of my thought processes at work here. :) Anyway, let me know about any ideas, thoughts etc. on this. Who knows, if I get it into a kickstarter, your name can be attached as one of the secondary designers. :) -Eric > On Oct 22, 2018, at 12:31 AM, David Chittenden <dchitten...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Hi Eric, > > The BliTab, which has not been released and is quite possibly vaperware, is > using micro-fluidics for driving the dots. This looks like the lowest cost > option to date, especially for half-page or full-page displays. > > I would avoid the Orbit technology solution. It is quite noisy, and they > still have production issues after millions of dollars of investment and > several years. > > Dot Corp (Dot Watch) and BrailleMe are both using variants on > electro-megnetic strips with decent success. The primary negative comments I > read are around the dots requiring significantly less pressure or they > collapse. Applying too much pressure is quite common amongst the blind. > > Kind regards, > > David Chittenden, MSc, MRCAA > Email: dchitten...@gmail.com > Mobile: +61 488 988 936 > Sent from my iPhone > >> On 22 Oct 2018, at 16:07, Eric Oyen <eric.o...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> Right now, I am still formulating the idea for the project itself. It will >> be a complete open source braille notetaker using readily available off the >> shelf components (including the Orbit display, if I can get it cheap >> enough). I might also consider a new design for the braille cells that uses >> no moving parts and has flat plate electrodes for the dots. This would, by >> minute electrical charge on the electrodes mimic a raised cell dot. This >> would eliminate the problem of mechanical servo controlled cells and their >> excessive cost. >> >> One thing I would change, all parts inside the machine are modular, this >> would allow easy replacement by the end user if any of the components should >> break down. Like I stated in my original posting, this would be completely >> open source. I still have to figure out how to power the electrode strip (if >> I go that route). >> >> -Eric >> >> >>> On Oct 21, 2018, at 4:44 AM, Maria Chapman <bubbygirl1...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> I agree with you, it is unprofessional of them to say what they said. >>> Hopefully with more people buying these displays, something will happen. >>> Are you saying you are working on a display? or a way to update displays? >>> >>> Maria >>> >>>> On 21 Oct 2018, at 9:48 pm, Eric Oyen <eric.o...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>> I have a possible open source OS idea I am working on via the RaspberryVi >>>> mailing list. It would essentially replace the closed source OS of the >>>> unit (and also possibly even the computer core) with an open source >>>> alternative that wouldn’t be tied to any given OS for upgrades and >>>> maintenance. In fact, because of the nature of the project I have in mind, >>>> the unit could be self updated/upgraded without the use of an external >>>> computer. >>>> >>>> Btw, for a company to put off a prospective customer like this is entirely >>>> unacceptable and definitely unprofessional. If I can get my project off >>>> the ground, the Unit would be feature rich, Linux/Raspian based, self >>>> updatable/upgradable and I would have competent techs on board to help >>>> out. Call me old school, but I believe that customer support is just as >>>> important as good product specifications. >>>> >>>> Btw, considering that the RaspberryPi (the core computer unit) has an OS >>>> that is run off an SD card, upgrading storage space or replacing (should >>>> it die) is as easy as opening up the cover, sliding out the old, sliding >>>> in the new, installing from backup (using any other machine run by >>>> windows, OS X or Linux) to hold the image. So much easier than how the >>>> likes of FS, HLMS/Hims and others do it. >>>> >>>> Leave it to a technically savvy linux guru who is blind to come up with a >>>> better solution, eh? >>>> >>>> -Eric >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Oct 20, 2018, at 4:35 PM, alia robinson <ali...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> they basically told me no plans were being made; it would be too >>>>> expensive, and when I pointed out if it was a display for all there >>>>> should be a universal way to update not tied to an operating system they >>>>> told me that was too bad this was the way it was, and to stop >>>>> complaining. put me off the dvice altogether. >>>>> >>>>> On Oct 20, 2018, at 7:32 PM, Maria Chapman <bubbygirl1...@gmail.com> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Also have any mac users started any kind of discussion with the >>>>> manufacturers about being able to update the reader with a mac? >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>>> The following information is important for all members of the Mac >>>>> Visionaries list. >>>>> >>>>> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or >>>>> if you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the >>>>> owners or moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >>>>> >>>>> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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You can reach mark at: >>> mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at >>> caraqu...@caraquinn.com >>> >>> The archives for this list can be searched at: >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/ >>> --- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>> "MacVisionaries" group. >>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >>> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >>> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >>> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> -- >> The following information is important for all members of the Mac >> Visionaries list. >> >> If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if >> you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or >> moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. >> >> Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. You can reach mark at: >> mk...@ucla.edu and your owner is Cara Quinn - you can reach Cara at >> caraqu...@caraquinn.com >> >> The archives for this list can be searched at: >> http://www.mail-archive.com/macvisionaries@googlegroups.com/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "MacVisionaries" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to macvisionaries+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. >> To post to this group, send email to macvisionaries@googlegroups.com. >> Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/macvisionaries. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > -- > The following information is important for all members of the Mac Visionaries > list. > > If you have any questions or concerns about the running of this list, or if > you feel that a member's post is inappropriate, please contact the owners or > moderators directly rather than posting on the list itself. > > Your Mac Visionaries list moderator is Mark Taylor. 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