Dot Master : Braille printer

Abstract: Braille is a writing system that uses tactile dots in a predetermined order which, in relation to each other, represent different letters in the alphabet. This writing system makes it possible for people with visual impairments to take part of the written media. But the availability of home based braille printers is limited and these printers are often expensive. The purpose of this project is to investigate if it is possible to build a home based braille printer for a low cost using microcontrollers, and thereby making it more accessible to people with visual impairment. In order to achieve this, a prototype was built using an microcontroller together with stepper motors and a solenoid. These components were then controlled by code through user input and translated to required movements. Each switch case then calls a set of functions that activates the steppers and the solenoid in the order needed to get the desired character. In the time frame given, the project resulted in a prototype able to print out the input it was given. As for the cost of building your own Braille printer in comparison to buying one on the market highly depends on what processing machines are accessible.