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Small introduction video I made

For our high-school end project in SI (Engineer Science), my friends and I decided to make a Braille printer.
These devices emboss Braille characters on paper, which can then be read by blind people.

Braille Alphabet
Braille character's dimensions

Currently, Braille printers cost a lot, thousands of dollars. Other devices for blind people are also excessively expensive (Braille computers, Braille terminals…). In short, you must be rich to be blind, and that's not normal.

Prototype
3D model

Our printer was made in our high-school (machining included, the printer being entirely made of metal) for a total of about $200 of equipment. To get to that price, we use an innovative embossing system, slow, but very cheap to build. The announced printing time of 13 minutes could be enhanced a lot: the system is asolutely not optimized right now.

Electronic material
Electronic circuit

The printing head is made with three 9 g servomotors. One stepper motor moves the head and another one moves the sheet of paper. Everything is controlled by an Arduino Uno with a Motor Shield

Printing head
Printing head assembly

We showcased this project at the 2016 Young Inventors of Creators Show of Monts where we won the second prize of the “Collective Senior” category with a silver medal of the Lépine Contest.

Our booth’s poster
Awards ceremony