1. Digital Braille Watch Alice Tang | Alison Boumeester
Vidhya Raju | Anika Lohrentz
Advisor – Thomas Yen, Ph. D.
Client - Holly and Colton Albrecht

2. UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – MADISON BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN COURSES
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY STATEMENT
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2) Agrees not to use this information for any other purpose unless given written approval in advance by the Project Group, the Client / SDC, and the Advisor.
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3. Outline Background Problem statement Design requirements
Design proposals
Design evaluation
Future work
Acknowledgements

4. Background Current watches Analog may be misread
Audible causes disruptions to others

5. BRAILLE NUMBERS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

6. Problem Statement Goal: Create digital Braille watch
Should not cause disruptions
Appropriately sized
Differentiate between Braille dots
Compact

7. Design Requirements Must use Braille Digital display Military time
Silent
Wristwatch or pocketwatch

8. Design Proposals
Electrocutaneous
Vibrotactile
Mechanical Wheel

9. ELECTROCUTANEOUS DISPLAY
Tactile sensation on skin via small current
Display size dependent on skin’s sensitivity
Control over stimulus intensity; sensation

10. ELECTROCUTANEOUS DISPLAY
Pros
Could be read without fingers
Versatile display
Applications beyond Braille
Cons
Costly, time consuming research
Demanding power requirements
Risks of shock

11. VIBROTACTILE DISPLAY Pin Mechanism Vibration Mechanism
Pin Mechanism
NiTi “smart metal”
Microsolenoid
BrailleNote © cells
Vibration Mechanism
Shaftless vibro-motor
Vibration cues active dot

12. VIBROTACTILE DISPLAY Pros Cons Simple components User friendly
Similar to current products
Cons
Larger size
Potentially costly components

13. Mechanical Wheel Based on old “folding clock” design
Interface clock circuit with mechanical components

14. Mechanical Wheel Pros Relatively low power usage
Low cost (no special parts)
Can use fingertips to read
Cons
Difficult to build
Vulnerable to failure
Relies on AC power

15. Design Evaluation

16. VIBROTACTILE

17. Future Work Convert digital signal to Braille
Interface clock circuit with Braille display
Consider human factors
Ergonomics
Safety

18. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Colton and Holly Albrecht Professor Thomas Yen
Professor Mitchell Tyler
Professor Kurt Kaczmarek