Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Technical Description of the Tool


  • Get one inexpensive mid-range Personal Computer
  • Attach one add-on hardware box to its printer port (easily fabricated, with simple design)
  • Connect 5 standard keyboards to this hardware
  • Connect 5 Braille display readers to partner with each keyboard (simple design using off-the-shelf electrical and hardware items)
  • Install a free downloadable operating system with its built-in text-based internet browser (Vector Linux 5 OS with text browser Lynx)
  • Install a small program to communicate with the 5 keyboards and the 5 Braille displays (Simple C++-language programs easily maintained by mid-level programmer)
  • Results - one inexpensive PC serving 5 visually impaired users, PLUS one sighted person using his own keyboard and monitor. (A total of 6 persons on one inexpensive PC)
  • Configure 10 of these PC's in a network - and you have a system serving a community of 10*5=50 visually impaired and 10 sighted persons
  • Teach the fabrication and programming to other persons with disability - and you have enlarged the job market for those others, who usually have less access to jobs
  • Area of Innovation: inexpensive and easily replicable, using lower technology PC's