https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/api.php?action=feedcontributions&user=20173932&feedformat=atomControl Systems Technology Group - User contributions [en]2024-03-29T14:37:24ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.39.5https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=91911PRE2019 3 Group42020-04-05T10:23:52Z<p>20173932: /* Week 8 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on society in general, since these people cannot function as efficiently as other, sighted people in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impaired people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, and develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A user-friendly interface for the visually impaired<br />
<br />
As the target group is the visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provide the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it is expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), a product can be created that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measurable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measurable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etc., it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmentally friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn braille, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results they want, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is given through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't used it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedback systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method relies on simple repetition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, where the modes are Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in, Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in, Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in, and Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Final.jpg|500px|thumb|The outcome of the Braillearn]]<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
After literature research, the following approaches were found to be most widely used:<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
In the prototype, it was decided to use the following approach to wrong answers:<br />
First, one can select whether exercises should be repeated until the correct answer is given. Second, one can select whether the wrong exercises should be repeated immediately or at the very end of a modus.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better off than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. The cause of this is that the ''pyttsx3'' library uses available text-to-speech (TTS) engines on the platform, Windows' TTS engine is much better than the one that is available for the Raspberry Pi. With this poorer quality, it is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way too high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for the future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue from occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set repeatUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as its advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. Since we have learned from the interview with Hable that although blind people cannot see the product themselves, they still care what others think of it. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40 of these 6-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons, as 40 Braille cells will cost thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite large.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are in general very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of mode can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this mode, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started as basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions as our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and shown the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 11.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), re-read wiki page and implement changes (1.5 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours), making and editing demonstration video (2.5 hours), conducting usability tests (1 hour), summarizing usability test results (0.75 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), implementing running program on startup + finalizing software (2 hours), meeting with Rob about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), proofreading wiki (2 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Tasks (0.75 hours), Recording audio (1 hours), Processing recordings and creating tasks (2.25 hours), slides final presentation (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check and adjustments wiki page (3 hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (2 + x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 9 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), finishing complete PowerPoint (2.5 hours), finishing script for video (4 hours), fixing minor parts of the Wiki (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests&diff=91910PRE2019 3 Group4 Usability-Tests2020-04-05T10:21:15Z<p>20173932: /* Users */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Usability Tests=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
<br />
The usability tests were performed with a family member of Rob Vissers blindfolded, since the design could not be tested with an actual blind person due to the current circumstances. A meeting was set up with Visio, but unfortunately, this could not continue with the current measures taken.<br />
<br />
===Task 1: Device placement===<br />
* Participant is required to put the device at a stable/reachable surface and in front of them (in the correct way with the buttons at the top and the charging input at the right hand side)<br />
* The participant is able to do this, this task is passed. <br />
** '''Test:''' At first a moment was needed to grasp the situation of not being able to see. After that the Braillearn was handed over to the user. The user was seated down with a table in front of him, such that the Braillearn could be placed properly on the steady surface. After feeling and rotating the design, the user was able to place the side with the letters to face him. Therefore this task is properly completed.<br />
<br />
===Task 2: Charge the device===<br />
* Participant is required to charge the device by plugging a cable in the device as well as in the power output. <br />
* If a sound is produced by the device (which means that it is charging), this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' With the design in place, the next task was to plug in the mains voltage cable. Since the user already knew the placement of the power sockets in the room, this task was completed without any problems.<br />
<br />
===Task 3: Turn the device on===<br />
* Participant is required to turn on the device by pressing the on/off button. <br />
* If a sound is produced by the device (which means that it is on), this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' After feeling all different buttons of the design, it was fairly easy for the user to decide what the on/off button would be. This is due to the fact that the on/off button is the only switch on the device, and could therefore be interpreted as the on/off button. By flipping the switch, followed by the tutorial starting, the task was completed succesfully.<br />
<br />
===Task 4: Change modus at novice level===<br />
* Participant is required to put the modus at the novice level. <br />
* If the participant uses the arrow shaped buttons properly (to change buttons), then a sound will be generated which indicates the current modus the participant has activated. If the participant has activated the correct modus, then this task is passed<br />
** '''Test:''' After the tutorial the user had to change the teaching modus. Since all buttons were already walked through in the tutorial, this did not pose any problems. However, feedback was obtained that it would be better to shape the buttons as arrows, such that it is better understandable what modus up and modus down is. This was indeed not yet implemented in the first prototype.<br />
<br />
===Task 5: Typing a letter===<br />
* Participant is required to type one letter by using the device. This task measures two things:<br />
** If a participant is able to recognize the six-point system of the Braille cells by using the left Braille cell on the device. This will be measured by response time (time to recognize) <br />
** If the participant entered the correct letter (error rate) by using the right Braille cell of the device properly.<br />
* If a letter is entered, then this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' A first braille learning task was conducted with the user, where the user had to learn the letter 'a', 'b', and 'c'. Since the top leftmost entry of the read braille cell did not move up and down very properly due to the stiffness and friction, this entry was constantly pointed up. In this exercise, it did not pose any problems, since the 'a' is the top leftmost entry. The 'b' and 'c' also include this top leftmost entry, in conjunction with one other entry. Therefore another learning task was conducted, where the user had to write the word 'way' letter by letter. Since the letter 'w' does not include the top leftmost entry, this posed any problems. The user kept taking pushing this entry in the write braille cell. After three tries, a little help was provided from the outside, saying that the top leftmost braille cell did not function as properly as intended. After knowing this, the rest of the task could be completed without any problems.<br />
<br />
===Task 6: Using the reset button===<br />
* Participant is required to type another letter, however he is asked to make a mistake on purpose. At this point, the participant has to use the reset button to correct his mistake. <br />
* If the participant succeeds, then this task is passed. <br />
** '''Test:''' At the third try for the letter 'w', the input was not yet confirmed with the next button. With help from the outside saying that the top leftmost entry should not be included for the letter 'w', the reset button was pressed by the user to try again. Now, not taking into account the top leftmost entry, the task could be completed succesfully.<br />
<br />
===Task 7: Turn the device off===<br />
* Participant is required to turn off the device by pressing the on/off button again. <br />
* If the participant is capable to turn off the device, then this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' Since the location of the on/off button was known from the start-up, the shutdown was fairly easy. By feeling over the left side of the Braillearn, the on/off button could be found again, and the system was turned off in advance.<br />
<br />
==Tutors==<br />
<br />
===Task 1: Guidance===<br />
* The tutor must be able to help the student with the initial set-up of the device and getting familiar with its hardware and software. The typed manual can be consulted for this.<br />
<br />
===Task 2: New study material===<br />
* the tutor must be able to understand the GUI of the website/program that allows them to make new study material. Potentially the website/program can be used to track the performance of the students. This can be used to offer additional assistance.</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests&diff=91909PRE2019 3 Group4 Usability-Tests2020-04-05T10:20:53Z<p>20173932: /* Users */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Usability Tests=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
<br />
The usability tests were performed with a family member of Rob Vissers blindfolded, since the design could not be tested with an actual blind person due to the current circumstances. A meeting was set up with Visio, but unfortunately, this could not continue with the current measures.<br />
<br />
===Task 1: Device placement===<br />
* Participant is required to put the device at a stable/reachable surface and in front of them (in the correct way with the buttons at the top and the charging input at the right hand side)<br />
* The participant is able to do this, this task is passed. <br />
** '''Test:''' At first a moment was needed to grasp the situation of not being able to see. After that the Braillearn was handed over to the user. The user was seated down with a table in front of him, such that the Braillearn could be placed properly on the steady surface. After feeling and rotating the design, the user was able to place the side with the letters to face him. Therefore this task is properly completed.<br />
<br />
===Task 2: Charge the device===<br />
* Participant is required to charge the device by plugging a cable in the device as well as in the power output. <br />
* If a sound is produced by the device (which means that it is charging), this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' With the design in place, the next task was to plug in the mains voltage cable. Since the user already knew the placement of the power sockets in the room, this task was completed without any problems.<br />
<br />
===Task 3: Turn the device on===<br />
* Participant is required to turn on the device by pressing the on/off button. <br />
* If a sound is produced by the device (which means that it is on), this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' After feeling all different buttons of the design, it was fairly easy for the user to decide what the on/off button would be. This is due to the fact that the on/off button is the only switch on the device, and could therefore be interpreted as the on/off button. By flipping the switch, followed by the tutorial starting, the task was completed succesfully.<br />
<br />
===Task 4: Change modus at novice level===<br />
* Participant is required to put the modus at the novice level. <br />
* If the participant uses the arrow shaped buttons properly (to change buttons), then a sound will be generated which indicates the current modus the participant has activated. If the participant has activated the correct modus, then this task is passed<br />
** '''Test:''' After the tutorial the user had to change the teaching modus. Since all buttons were already walked through in the tutorial, this did not pose any problems. However, feedback was obtained that it would be better to shape the buttons as arrows, such that it is better understandable what modus up and modus down is. This was indeed not yet implemented in the first prototype.<br />
<br />
===Task 5: Typing a letter===<br />
* Participant is required to type one letter by using the device. This task measures two things:<br />
** If a participant is able to recognize the six-point system of the Braille cells by using the left Braille cell on the device. This will be measured by response time (time to recognize) <br />
** If the participant entered the correct letter (error rate) by using the right Braille cell of the device properly.<br />
* If a letter is entered, then this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' A first braille learning task was conducted with the user, where the user had to learn the letter 'a', 'b', and 'c'. Since the top leftmost entry of the read braille cell did not move up and down very properly due to the stiffness and friction, this entry was constantly pointed up. In this exercise, it did not pose any problems, since the 'a' is the top leftmost entry. The 'b' and 'c' also include this top leftmost entry, in conjunction with one other entry. Therefore another learning task was conducted, where the user had to write the word 'way' letter by letter. Since the letter 'w' does not include the top leftmost entry, this posed any problems. The user kept taking pushing this entry in the write braille cell. After three tries, a little help was provided from the outside, saying that the top leftmost braille cell did not function as properly as intended. After knowing this, the rest of the task could be completed without any problems.<br />
<br />
===Task 6: Using the reset button===<br />
* Participant is required to type another letter, however he is asked to make a mistake on purpose. At this point, the participant has to use the reset button to correct his mistake. <br />
* If the participant succeeds, then this task is passed. <br />
** '''Test:''' At the third try for the letter 'w', the input was not yet confirmed with the next button. With help from the outside saying that the top leftmost entry should not be included for the letter 'w', the reset button was pressed by the user to try again. Now, not taking into account the top leftmost entry, the task could be completed succesfully.<br />
<br />
===Task 7: Turn the device off===<br />
* Participant is required to turn off the device by pressing the on/off button again. <br />
* If the participant is capable to turn off the device, then this task is passed.<br />
** '''Test:''' Since the location of the on/off button was known from the start-up, the shutdown was fairly easy. By feeling over the left side of the Braillearn, the on/off button could be found again, and the system was turned off in advance.<br />
<br />
==Tutors==<br />
<br />
===Task 1: Guidance===<br />
* The tutor must be able to help the student with the initial set-up of the device and getting familiar with its hardware and software. The typed manual can be consulted for this.<br />
<br />
===Task 2: New study material===<br />
* the tutor must be able to understand the GUI of the website/program that allows them to make new study material. Potentially the website/program can be used to track the performance of the students. This can be used to offer additional assistance.</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests&diff=91908PRE2019 3 Group4 Usability-Tests2020-04-05T10:20:13Z<p>20173932: /* Users */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Usability Tests=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
<br />
The usability tests were performed with a family member of Rob Vissers blindfolded, since the design could not be tested with an actual blind person due to the current circumstances. A meeting was set up with Visio, but unfortunately, this could not continue with the current measures.<br />
<br />
===Task 1: Device placement===<br />
* Participant is required to put the device at a stable/reachable surface and in front of them (in the correct way with the buttons at the top and the charging input at the right hand side)<br />
* The participant is able to do this, this task is passed. <br />
** At first a moment was needed to grasp the situation of not being able to see. After that the Braillearn was handed over to the user. The user was seated down with a table in front of him, such that the Braillearn could be placed properly on the steady surface. After feeling and rotating the design, the user was able to place the side with the letters to face him. Therefore this task is properly completed.<br />
<br />
===Task 2: Charge the device===<br />
* Participant is required to charge the device by plugging a cable in the device as well as in the power output. <br />
* If a sound is produced by the device (which means that it is charging), this task is passed.<br />
** With the design in place, the next task was to plug in the mains voltage cable. Since the user already knew the placement of the power sockets in the room, this task was completed without any problems.<br />
<br />
===Task 3: Turn the device on===<br />
* Participant is required to turn on the device by pressing the on/off button. <br />
* If a sound is produced by the device (which means that it is on), this task is passed.<br />
** After feeling all different buttons of the design, it was fairly easy for the user to decide what the on/off button would be. This is due to the fact that the on/off button is the only switch on the device, and could therefore be interpreted as the on/off button. By flipping the switch, followed by the tutorial starting, the task was completed succesfully.<br />
<br />
===Task 4: Change modus at novice level===<br />
* Participant is required to put the modus at the novice level. <br />
* If the participant uses the arrow shaped buttons properly (to change buttons), then a sound will be generated which indicates the current modus the participant has activated. If the participant has activated the correct modus, then this task is passed<br />
** After the tutorial the user had to change the teaching modus. Since all buttons were already walked through in the tutorial, this did not pose any problems. However, feedback was obtained that it would be better to shape the buttons as arrows, such that it is better understandable what modus up and modus down is. This was indeed not yet implemented in the first prototype.<br />
<br />
===Task 5: Typing a letter===<br />
* Participant is required to type one letter by using the device. This task measures two things:<br />
** If a participant is able to recognize the six-point system of the Braille cells by using the left Braille cell on the device. This will be measured by response time (time to recognize) <br />
** If the participant entered the correct letter (error rate) by using the right Braille cell of the device properly.<br />
* If a letter is entered, then this task is passed.<br />
** A first braille learning task was conducted with the user, where the user had to learn the letter 'a', 'b', and 'c'. Since the top leftmost entry of the read braille cell did not move up and down very properly due to the stiffness and friction, this entry was constantly pointed up. In this exercise, it did not pose any problems, since the 'a' is the top leftmost entry. The 'b' and 'c' also include this top leftmost entry, in conjunction with one other entry. Therefore another learning task was conducted, where the user had to write the word 'way' letter by letter. Since the letter 'w' does not include the top leftmost entry, this posed any problems. The user kept taking pushing this entry in the write braille cell. After three tries, a little help was provided from the outside, saying that the top leftmost braille cell did not function as properly as intended. After knowing this, the rest of the task could be completed without any problems.<br />
<br />
===Task 6: Using the reset button===<br />
* Participant is required to type another letter, however he is asked to make a mistake on purpose. At this point, the participant has to use the reset button to correct his mistake. <br />
* If the participant succeeds, then this task is passed. <br />
** At the third try for the letter 'w', the input was not yet confirmed with the next button. With help from the outside saying that the top leftmost entry should not be included for the letter 'w', the reset button was pressed by the user to try again. Now, not taking into account the top leftmost entry, the task could be completed succesfully.<br />
<br />
===Task 7: Turn the device off===<br />
* Participant is required to turn off the device by pressing the on/off button again. <br />
* If the participant is capable to turn off the device, then this task is passed.<br />
** Since the location of the on/off button was known from the start-up, the shutdown was fairly easy. By feeling over the left side of the Braillearn, the on/off button could be found again, and the system was turned off in advance.<br />
<br />
==Tutors==<br />
<br />
===Task 1: Guidance===<br />
* The tutor must be able to help the student with the initial set-up of the device and getting familiar with its hardware and software. The typed manual can be consulted for this.<br />
<br />
===Task 2: New study material===<br />
* the tutor must be able to understand the GUI of the website/program that allows them to make new study material. Potentially the website/program can be used to track the performance of the students. This can be used to offer additional assistance.</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=91390PRE2019 3 Group42020-04-03T18:52:14Z<p>20173932: /* Week 8 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on society in general, since these people cannot function as efficiently as other, sighted people in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impaired people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, and develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A user-friendly interface for the visually impaired<br />
<br />
As the target group is the visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provide the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it is expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), a product can be created that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measurable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measurable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etc., it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmentally friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn braille, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results they want, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is given through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't used it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedback systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method relies on simple repetition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, where the modes are Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in, Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in, Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in, and Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Final.jpg|500px|thumb|The outcome of the Braillearn]]<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
After literature research, the following approaches were found to be most widely used:<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
In the prototype, it was decided to use the following approach to wrong answers:<br />
First, one can select whether exercises should be repeated until the correct answer is given. Second, one can select whether the wrong exercises should be repeated immediately or at the very end of a modus.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better off than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. The cause of this is that the ''pyttsx3'' library uses available text-to-speech (TTS) engines on the platform, Windows' TTS engine is much better than the one that is available for the Raspberry Pi. With this poorer quality, it is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way too high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for the future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue from occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set repeatUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as its advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. Since we have learned from the interview with Hable that although blind people cannot see the product themselves, they still care what others think of it. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40 of these 6-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons, as 40 Braille cells will cost thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite large.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are in general very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of mode can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this mode, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started as basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions as our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and shown the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), re-read wiki page and implement changes (1.5 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours), making and editing demonstration video (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), implementing running program on startup + finalizing software (2 hours), meeting with Rob about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), proofreading wiki (2 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Tasks (0.75 hours), Recording audio (1 hours), Processing recordings and creating tasks (2.25 hours), slides final presentation (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check and adjustments wiki page (3 hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (2 + x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 9 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), finishing complete PowerPoint (2.5 hours), finishing script for video (4 hours), fixing minor parts of the Wiki (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=File:USE_Final.jpg&diff=91312File:USE Final.jpg2020-04-03T15:29:22Z<p>20173932: </p>
<hr />
<div></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=91311PRE2019 3 Group42020-04-03T15:27:22Z<p>20173932: /* Design layout: hardware & software */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on society in general, since these people cannot function as efficiently as other, sighted people in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impaired people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, and develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A user-friendly interface for the visually impaired<br />
<br />
As the target group is the visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provide the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it is expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), a product can be created that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measurable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measurable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etc., it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmentally friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn braille, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results they want, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is given through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't used it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedback systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method relies on simple repetition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, where the modes are Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in, Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in, Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in, and Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Final.jpg|500px|thumb|The outcome of the Braillearn]]<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
After literature research, the following approaches were found to be most widely used:<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
In the prototype, it was decided to use the following approach to wrong answers:<br />
First, one can select whether exercises should be repeated until the correct answer is given. Second, one can select whether the wrong exercises should be repeated immediately or at the very end of a modus.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better off than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. The cause of this is that the ''pyttsx3'' library uses available text-to-speech (TTS) engines on the platform, Windows' TTS engine is much better than the one that is available for the Raspberry Pi. With this poorer quality, it is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way too high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for the future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue from occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set repeatUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as its advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. Since we have learned from the interview with Hable that although blind people cannot see the product themselves, they still care what others think of it. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40 of these 6-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons, as 40 Braille cells will cost thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite large.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are in general very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of mode can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this mode, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started as basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions as our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and shown the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 7.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), re-read wiki page and implement changes (1.5 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours), making and editing demonstration video (x hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), implementing running program on startup + finalizing software (2 hours), meeting with Rob about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), proofreading wiki (2 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Tasks (0.75 hours), Recording audio (1 hours), Processing recordings and creating tasks (2.25 hours), slides final presentation (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check and adjustments wiki page (3 hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (2 + x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 9 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), finishing complete PowerPoint (2.5 hours), finishing script for video (4 hours), fixing minor parts of the Wiki (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=91308PRE2019 3 Group42020-04-03T15:26:00Z<p>20173932: /* Week 8 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on society in general, since these people cannot function as efficiently as other, sighted people in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impaired people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, and develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A user-friendly interface for the visually impaired<br />
<br />
As the target group is the visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provide the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it is expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), a product can be created that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measurable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measurable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etc., it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmentally friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn braille, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results they want, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is given through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't used it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedback systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method relies on simple repetition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, where the modes are Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in, Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in, Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in, and Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
After literature research, the following approaches were found to be most widely used:<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
In the prototype, it was decided to use the following approach to wrong answers:<br />
First, one can select whether exercises should be repeated until the correct answer is given. Second, one can select whether the wrong exercises should be repeated immediately or at the very end of a modus.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better off than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. The cause of this is that the ''pyttsx3'' library uses available text-to-speech (TTS) engines on the platform, Windows' TTS engine is much better than the one that is available for the Raspberry Pi. With this poorer quality, it is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way too high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for the future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue from occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set repeatUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as its advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. Since we have learned from the interview with Hable that although blind people cannot see the product themselves, they still care what others think of it. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40 of these 6-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons, as 40 Braille cells will cost thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite large.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are in general very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of mode can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this mode, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started as basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions as our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and shown the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 7.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), re-read wiki page and implement changes (1.5 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours), making and editing demonstration video (x hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), implementing running program on startup + finalizing software (2 hours), meeting with Rob about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), proofreading wiki (2 hours), testing and bug fixing (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Tasks (0.75 hours), Recording audio (1 hours), Processing recordings and creating tasks (2.25 hours), slides final presentation (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check and adjustments wiki page (3 hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (2 + x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 9 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), finishing complete PowerPoint (2.5 hours), finishing script for video (4 hours), fixing minor parts of the Wiki (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90115PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T09:53:21Z<p>20173932: </p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 4.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), re-read wiki page and implement changes (1.5 hours),<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90056PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:55:39Z<p>20173932: /* Week 8 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 4.5 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour), re-read wiki page and implement changes (1.5 hours),<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90055PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:55:08Z<p>20173932: /* Prototype Braillearn */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM memory, 40 GPIO pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
===Product Specifications===<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the materials that are implemented in the final design. The final size of the product has become 27.1x16x7.6 cm.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90054PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:53:12Z<p>20173932: /* State of the art: Existing Devices */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the state-of-the-art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Regarding these products it is possible to see how they work and to check the advantages and disadvantages per system. Therefore this can be used to be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90053PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:52:41Z<p>20173932: /* Approach */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic,<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90052PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:52:24Z<p>20173932: /* Approach */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users,<br />
*Development of a small prototype and application of a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements,<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90051PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:51:59Z<p>20173932: /* Expected Impact */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore it is expected that a large number of these 90% blind people will regain interest in braille, and thereby also generate more interest in our product.<br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90049PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:50:56Z<p>20173932: /* Requirements */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
The overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute,<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person,<br />
* be built with high contrast between the colors of the casing and the buttons,<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation,<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time,<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
The physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position,<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds,<br />
* provide reliable capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=90046PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-31T08:49:00Z<p>20173932: /* Problem statement */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically less than the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some even never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
===Learning modes===<br />
Regarding the different input modes (learning modes) that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
#'''Letter_audio&physical_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
#'''Letter_audio_out/Letter_physical_in''': In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
#'''Word_audio&physical_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
#'''Word_audio_out/Word_physical_in''': In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
===Approaches for wrong answers===<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
===Incorporation issues with casing & Future Improvements===<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?'']<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy ''The answer is correct. Good job!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'']<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 ''Sorry, this is incorrect.''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'']<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*[https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni ''Correct!''] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH ''Well done!'']<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
====Game====<br />
After finishing or skipping the tutorial you end up in the main program. The main program resolves around the runTask() method. This method receives as input a specific task (e.g. ‘Task1’) and executes the task. <br />
At any time, during or after execution of the task, the user can move to another task by pressing the level-up and level-down indicators. Once such an indicator is pressed (catched using interrupts) we immediately abort the currently playing audio (if any) and move to the next task. If a task is finished and no level indicator is pressed, the program just waits for the next task to be selected.<br />
<br />
The runTask() programs functions as follows:<br />
#It first loads the task received as input. It then looks at the first question of the given task. If the task is of quizMode 1 or 2, it reads: ''“Please write the letter…”'' followed by the corresponding letter. In quizeMode 3 or 4 it reads ''“Please write the word…”'' followed by the corresponding word.<br />
#[Loop] We now process a question of the task.<br />
#[Loop] We now process the letter of the question.<br />
#:*'''(Only for word-questions):''' If the task has ''‘readEveryLetter’'' enabled, the first letter of the word is read out by the device. Otherwise nothing will be spoken out.<br />
#:*If quizMode is 1 or 3 (In these modes the left braille cell shows the letters), the left braille cell now recreates the braille-equivalent of the letter.<br />
#The user can now fill in the braille-equivalent on the right braille cell. There is no time-limit, so the user can take as long as it needs. <br />
#:*If a mistake is made when creating the braille-letter, the user can reset the cell by pressing the ‘reset’ button, after which all pins will be up again.<br />
#After finishing creating a braille-letter, the user can press the ‘next’ button to confirm it’s letter to the system. <br />
#:* '''(Only for word-questions):''' If the letter is correct the user moves to the next letter of the word. The method then continues at step 3. If the letter is correct and is also the final letter of the word, then we continue at step 6. Depending on the ''‘feedbackPerLetter''’ setting the user will receive feedback on their wrong or right answer. If this is enabled and the answer is wrong, the letter will be repeated in a certain way based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables.<br />
#:* '''(Only for letter-questions):''' We move to step 6. <br />
#If we have not received any feedback in step 5 (due to being a letter-question or having ''‘feedbackPerLetter’'' disabled), we receive the ultimate feedback for the question in this step. If incorrect, again based on the ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’'' and ''‘repeatImmediately’'' variables the question might be repeated in a certain way. If this is the final question, we move to step 7. Otherwise the method continues at step 2.<br />
#:* If the question was a word the user is notified that the word is complete by reading ''“The word is complete!”''<br />
#If all questions are complete we notify the user by saying: ''“Task completed!” '' <br />
<br />
=====Task=====<br />
A task is basically an assignment for the user. It belongs to one of the four learning modes mentioned [[#Learning modes|here]]. A task consists of a number of questions. A question consists of a single letter in learning mode 1 and 2. And consists of a word in learning mode 3 or 4.<br />
<br />
For example, for learning mode 1 and 2 a task could consists of the following questions:<br />
*''[‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c’, ‘d’]''<br />
<br />
For learning mode 3 and 4, an example task consist of the questions:<br />
*''[‘hoi’, ‘hallo’, ‘doei’]''<br />
<br />
When creating a task you have to give values to the following variables:<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Variable-name<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Description<br />
|-<br />
| quizMode<br />
|<br />
refers to one of the four Learning modes refered [[#Learning modes|here]]<br />
|-<br />
| repeatUntilCorrect<br />
|<br />
if true, the device repeats questions if answered incorrectly<br />
|-<br />
| repeatImmediately<br />
|<br />
if true, the question is repeated immediately. If false, the question is repeated when all other questions are asked<br />
|-<br />
| randomizeOrder<br />
|<br />
if true, questions are asked in a random order. If false, questions are asked in the order that they are created<br />
|-<br />
| feedbackPerLetter<br />
|<br />
if true, the user receives feedback for every letter (quizMode 3 or 4) or for every question (quizMode 1 or 2)<br />
|-<br />
| readEveryLetter<br />
|<br />
(Only specific to words). If true, every letter of a word is read out by the device<br />
|-<br />
| contractions<br />
|<br />
This variable must be set to true if the words of the quiz use abbreviation<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
When such a task is executed a sanity check takes place which makes sure no contradictions occur. For example, if you have filled in ''‘quizMode = 1’'' while your task-questions contain complete words, then the quizMode is automatically adjusted to 3.<br />
Also if you have selected quizMode 3 or 4 with ''‘feedbackPerLetter = true’'', then we automatically set reapUntilCorrect and repeatImmediately to true. This is done since when you receive immediate feedback, it would be weird to let the user continue with the letters of the word if already the first letter is wrong.<br />
<br />
As can be concluded from above we have put some effort into creating a system from which new tasks can be easily created. To come up with a task the procedure is now to create a python file, for example ‘Task5.py’ and copy the Task-template (from other question) and modify the variables / questions as requested. Functionally the system of creating a task is sound, the only ingredient missing would be a nice interface to create questions in as will be discussed [[#Creating Tasks|below]].<br />
<br />
==Creating Tasks==<br />
<br />
As mentioned above, functionally we have a system in place of being able to read custom made tasks instead of having tasks hard-coded into the system. The only unpleasant feature is that when a teacher for example would like to make his/her custom task, he/she would need the Python IDE, look at the program files and add a task (E.g. ‘Task7.py’) into the folder Tasks. This is of course a cumbersome procedure. In this section we will discuss ways in which this procedure could be refined.<br />
<br />
Broadly our idea would be to create a program in which the teacher is able to create his/her own tasks. The task would be stored with our own custom filetype extension. For example ‘Task8.bl’. By doing this we prevent the user of using third-party programs which were not designed to work well with our product. Finally we would need a method of transmitting the created task from the teacher’s computer to the Braillearn device.<br />
<br />
The teacher also would not directly set the Boolean variables, shown in the table above, to true/false. Instead the teacher would answer questions which dictate the values of the Boolean variables. For example a questions could be (to set ''‘repeatUntilCorrect’''):<br />
<br />
* ''“Should a letter/word which was answered wrong be repeated until answered correctly?”''<br />
<br />
The teacher would then select either the yes-option or the no-option.<br />
<br />
The teacher creates a list of letters or words for a specific task. Based on this we already know if we will be in quizMode 1 or 2 (letter-questions) or in quizMode 3 or 4 (word-questions). With a simple question we could then determine the exact quizMode:<br />
<br />
* ''“Should the letters be displayed on the left braille cell?”''<br />
<br />
If the answer is yes, we are in quizMode 1 for letter-questions and in quizMode 3 for word-questions.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
This broad idea could have a lot of different implementations. Some examples follow below.<br />
* Create an Android application from which the teacher is able to fill in a list of letters/words and answer a number of questions to determine the Boolean-variables. Via a wireless Bluetooth connection the created tasks could then be transmitted to the Braillearn device.<br />
* Create a Windows application from which the teacher is able to create tasks in a similar way. Using a USB-port on the Braillearn device the device could be connected to the computer. Only the tasks folder would be visible in the file explorer. The user can then copy the .bl task-files to the tasks folder.<br />
* Create a web interface which connects to the Braillearn device. The Raspberry Pi built into the Braillearn device has the possibility of hosting a full website (locally on your network or globally on the internet). Tasks could then directly be uploaded to the device via the web interface.<br />
<br />
These were just a small number of examples. We imagine that there is a lot more possible and our examples can be combined into new methods. From this we can conclude that it is indeed possible to extend our system with a nice interface for creating tasks.<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
===Evaluation===<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. This issue is currently avoided by using pre-recorded audio files, but this decreases modularity. To resolve this issue a better text-to-speech library could be created or found, but this is not an easy task as many current state-of-the-art products also use pre-recorded audio files.<br />
<br />
Last, currently the software can only work with exercises that contain single letters, digits, a handful of exceptions and words that are made up of letter combinations that aren't already contractions/abbreviations. The last statement is not fully correct as it can work with words that contain standard contractions/abbreviations but it won't recognize them and simply split up the word in single letters. Therefore, the software could be extended, so it recognizes these contractions/abbreviations, other exceptions and for example punctuation. Exercise files have been created for this, but the software has to be adjusted.<br />
<br />
More points of improvement specifically for the case and electrical design are discussed on a separate page that can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]] and [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|here]].<br />
<br />
===Outlook===<br />
Understandably, all the remarks in the evaluation of the product are also points of improvement for future work. Below some other points are discussed.<br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: Letter_physical_out/Letter_audio_in. Logically, the same can be done for words. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current prototype does not meet all the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning (especially within the constraints of this project). In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (10 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), Peer review (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 2 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.75 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Finishing previous parts report (1 hours), State-Machine + Tutorial (3 hours), Game (2 hours), Creating Taks (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 6 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour), Final check wiki page (2 + x hours), work on Outlook & Discussion (2 hours), Presentation (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hours), Peer review (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Peer review=<br />
The table below displays the relative grades for each group member as concluded during the peer review.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! Relatively grade<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 <br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917|| 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 0 <br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 <br />
|}<br />
<br />
In conclusion, we decided to give each group member the same grade. So, the relative grades are all zero.<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries & Specific references=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=General references=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=89875PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-30T13:22:53Z<p>20173932: /* Week 8 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning braille we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for 1-to-1 sessions with a supervisor. As mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
[[file:USE_3DMODEL.jpg|500px|thumb|3D Model of the Final Product]]<br />
<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Design Flaws and Future Improvements==<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Raspberry Pi===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we make use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1TdxJAG9AgIgHont25SGO49Kd1jI5T0d2 here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi as is stated in [[#Discussion & Outlook|Discussion & Outlook]].<br />
<br />
The ''mixer'' library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages and disadvantages <ref name=WavVsMP3> VOX. Retrieved from: https://vox.rocks/resources/wav-vs-mp3/</ref>. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes. The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard. Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
[[File:StateMachineBraillearn.png|800px|right|thumb|State machine of Braillearn program]]<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
By just looking at the lines of code it might be difficult to get an idea of the main structure of the program. To give a better overview we have created a state diagram which shows the main outline of the program. This state machine shows the main structure. Some states itself have quite a bit more depth than the diagram shows. For example the ‘Handle question’ state takes into account the learning mode, processes user input, gives feedback, shows braille output and more. To give a main overview we have abstracted away from these details.<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned [[#Main issues in learning braille|here]]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The user starts the device in the tutorial section. The tutorial consists of 5 parts, which the user traverses chronologically. Each part tackles a different module of the device. Once a part is finished the user is automatically directed to the next part. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
Part 2 and Part 3 require participation from the user. In part 2 the device explains the 4 buttons of the device and after an explanation is finished about what a button does and where it is located, the user is asked to press the corresponding button. For example, the next-button explanation is at follows:<br />
* ''The following button is the ‘next’ button. With this button you tell the device that you have filled in an answer and would like to check it. This button is the rightmost button and is located on the top side. Could you press the ‘next’ button for me?''([https://drive.google.com/open?id=10TtqBm6o2cssgkai87bELGQc7Zx_DeTq audio])<br />
<br />
The program than waits until this button is pressed. When this occurs, the device gives feedback to the user by telling him the answer is correct. For example:<br />
*''The answer is correct. Good job!'' Or ''This is the right answer. Nice work!'' ([https://drive.google.com/open?id=1GmbLOHJy3kK3joul8oJV5GpHeGeijURy audio1] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1DgLmcEmJtgf6uIugtg8DJMWVy3i9cCjZ audio2])<br />
<br />
If a wrong button is pressed the user is also notified:<br />
<br />
*''Sorry, this is incorrect.'' Or ''Sadly, this answer is wrong.'' ([https://drive.google.com/open?id=16iUQELp6HGOp35t5OAiqfbj0RucyGK66 audio1] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YXWeGzuE1rY-NJt0uxsrkWQH5l4-GKF5 audio2])<br />
<br />
In part 3 the user has to push in all the six pins of the rightmost braille cell (in any order). We wait for the user to complete this task and when the user presses a single pin a short feedback message will be heard:<br />
*''Correct!'' Or ''Well done!'' ([https://drive.google.com/open?id=1EYuK8jffsLjS6SbYJprEpVK2ryoo5Qni audio1] Or [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1b5coKXKAHetSO3akjJSauV69Aqpaq2EH audio2])<br />
<br />
As you can see multiple variants of feedback are possible. For each feedback type (correct / incorrect) we have recorded two variants. One of the two variants is randomly chosen. We have done this to make the device less boring and predictable. This way it’s more difficult to get accustomed to receiving the same feedback every time.<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we have created a script of everything that has been recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
After the final part (part 5), the tutorial is finished. The user can press the reset button to play the complete tutorial again, or the user can start with his first task by pressing the next button.<br />
<br />
==Exercises==<br />
The exercises created for the prototype can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Exercises|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product <br />
* Afkortingen <br />
* Iets kort over dat we nu recorded voices gebruiken => Decrease modularity (alles moet vooraf opgenomen worden) => Future work: More research into finding/creating a library that can produce high quality text-to-speech audio. (Annie also uses pre-recorded audio => mogelijk indicatie dat het geen eenvoudige taak is) (Ik verwijs naar discussion and outlook vanuit software tekst)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Currently there are many different devices that are created for learning Braille as stated before. Each device has its own advantages. While the Lego Braille Bricks were advantageous in learning combinations in six-point Braille cells, the Annie device was advantageous in gamification of learning Braille. Furthermore, while the Taptilo was advantageous in learning several levels of Braille in terms of difficulty and allowing independence (from a teacher), Hable’s device allows blind people to work with a modern and transportable device which blind persons could use to type in Braille. <br />
<br />
By using the main advantages of each device, a more universal and practical Braille learn device could be created. Our product, the Braillearn, is meant to represent this. It takes over the idea of the six-point Braille cell as well as it advantages. Furthermore it provides the blind person with several levels of difficulty, expressed in several modes. As blind people really value to learn Braille with other blind people, our device allows them to compete with each other and compare their scores on their own Braillearn device. In this way, gamification is incorporated into our product. The Braillearn device is also very colored, in this way an attempt has been made to make our product more modern and interesting, rather than being formal. This should decrease the stigma of being blind and should give blind people the feeling that they fit in this modern world with their friends. After all, there are many aspects incorporated into product in order to provide blind people with as many benefits as possible. <br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 14 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), meeting with Rob about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), reassemble hardware to make a better fit (5 hours), make improvements to assembly and sturdiness (4 hours), Testing and adding actuation of solenoids in software (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0.5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 6 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), including state-of-the-art in the outlook/discussion section (2 hours), Creating a 3D model for Design Layout section (2 hours), creating template PowerPoint Presentation (1.5 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 8==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 2 hours || Group meeting (1 hour), meeting with Ivo about fixing hardware problems (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 1 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1 hours || Group meeting (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group meeting (1 hours))<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 1 hours || Group meeting (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=89073PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-28T10:27:20Z<p>20173932: /* Week 7 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in [ '''BRON HIER''' ], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Design Flaws and Future Improvements==<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 Versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 15 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours), working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|Design Flaws and Future Improvements]] page (1 hour).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0.5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours),<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0.5 hours|| Group meeting (0.5 hours),<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0.5 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89065PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T10:25:22Z<p>20173932: /* Communication with Software Team */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
The 3D printing process did not go completely according to plan. This is partly due to bad communication with the 3D printing contact and partly due to 3D printer failures. From the 3D printing contact it became clear that in the final design inner walls had to be added for increased stability. By adding these inner walls, such that the power supply would be on the left side of the casing, followed by the two PCBs that control the solenoids in the middle, followed by the RPi on the right of the casing, these parts would be kept separated from each other. <br />
<br />
It followed that indeed the stability for the casing increased. However in the 3D printing process something went wrong due to which the inner walls had been printed twice, thus encompassing twice the space in the casing. This posed problems with the placement of the two PCBs in the middle, since these did not fit anymore in the desired location. Eventually the decision had been made to place one PCB on the left side (on top of the power supply) and one PCB on the right side of the casing.<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
When manufacturing the final design, problems quickly arose with respect to the space of the casing. During the design process of the casing, the space had already been increased once before the final casing was 3D printed. However with the RPi extension kit PCB not assigned to any particular location in the casing, it was hard to place this PCB on a proper location.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, with the decision to remove the RPi from the casing for the final design and tests, more space was available in the casing. By taking proper use of this available space, the RPi extension kit PCB could be implemented in the casing. Regarding the future, a larger casing would not be needed if the PCBs would be designed and manufactured with surface mount (SMD) components. This would significantly decrease the amount of space needed inside the casing, and could probably even decrease the casing dimensions.<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
To take into account the specified weight and dimensions that were desired in the crude approximation of the final design, a solution has to be proposed to meet these values. By drawing a PCB in advance with proper software (Eagle, CADstar, Altium), the dimensions of the PCB could be optimized according to the casing. Also mounting holes could be placed on favorable locations. For the PCB it is important to make use of SMD components to reduce unnecessarily high costs and to minimize the space of the PCBs. Through-Hole components would have extra exposed connections on the bottom of the board that could interfere with other electronics and the casing, and are therefore not preferred. When one decreases the space of the PCBs and the dimensions of the components, this would generally also lead to a decreased weight of the final product.<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===<br />
Since the hardware and software have to be coherent with each other, it is important to have proper communication between the hardware and software teams. Since this communication was not entirely optimal in the beginning of the project, the hardware could not be fitted properly inside of the casing. Problems arose with the pin definitions in the software, because for example all read and write pins were assigned to one side of the RPi connector pins. Now, since the read cell is located on the left and the write cell is located on the right, this would result in cables being crossed over each other in the entire design. This is of course not the optimal method to tackle the implementation. Eventually with proper structural feedback from the hardware team and bright inputs from the software team, the pin definitions were optimized according to the placement of the PCBs in the casing.</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89059PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T10:17:44Z<p>20173932: /* Reordering of Casing */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
The 3D printing process did not go completely according to plan. This is partly due to bad communication with the 3D printing contact and partly due to 3D printer failures. From the 3D printing contact it became clear that in the final design inner walls had to be added for increased stability. By adding these inner walls, such that the power supply would be on the left side of the casing, followed by the two PCBs that control the solenoids in the middle, followed by the RPi on the right of the casing, these parts would be kept separated from each other. <br />
<br />
It followed that indeed the stability for the casing increased. However in the 3D printing process something went wrong due to which the inner walls had been printed twice, thus encompassing twice the space in the casing. This posed problems with the placement of the two PCBs in the middle, since these did not fit anymore in the desired location. Eventually the decision had been made to place one PCB on the left side (on top of the power supply) and one PCB on the right side of the casing.<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
When manufacturing the final design, problems quickly arose with respect to the space of the casing. During the design process of the casing, the space had already been increased once before the final casing was 3D printed. However with the RPi extension kit PCB not assigned to any particular location in the casing, it was hard to place this PCB on a proper location.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, with the decision to remove the RPi from the casing for the final design and tests, more space was available in the casing. By taking proper use of this available space, the RPi extension kit PCB could be implemented in the casing. Regarding the future, a larger casing would not be needed if the PCBs would be designed and manufactured with surface mount (SMD) components. This would significantly decrease the amount of space needed inside the casing, and could probably even decrease the casing dimensions.<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
To take into account the specified weight and dimensions that were desired in the crude approximation of the final design, a solution has to be proposed to meet these values. By drawing a PCB in advance with proper software (Eagle, CADstar, Altium), the dimensions of the PCB could be optimized according to the casing. Also mounting holes could be placed on favorable locations. For the PCB it is important to make use of SMD components to reduce unnecessarily high costs and to minimize the space of the PCBs. Through-Hole components would have extra exposed connections on the bottom of the board that could interfere with other electronics and the casing, and are therefore not preferred. When one decreases the space of the PCBs and the dimensions of the components, this would generally also lead to a decreased weight of the final product.<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89057PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T10:17:24Z<p>20173932: /* Future PCB Creation */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
The 3D printing process did not go completely according to plan. This is partly due to bad communication with the 3D printing contact and partly due to 3D printer failures. From the 3D printing contact it became clear that in the final design inner walls had to be added for increased stability. By adding these inner walls, such that the power supply would be on the left side of the casing, followed by the two PCBs that control the solenoids in the middle, followed by the RPi on the right of the casing, these parts would be kept separated from each other. <br />
<br />
It followed that indeed the stability for the casing increased. However in the 3D printing process something went wrong due to which the inner walls had been printed twice, thus encompassing twice the space in the casing. This posed problems with the placement of the two PCBs in the middle, since these did not fit anymore in the desired location. Eventually the decision had been made to place one PCB on the left side (on top of the power supply) and one PCB on the right side of the casing.<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
When manufacturing the final design, problems quickly arose with respect to the space of the casing. During the design process of the casing, the space had already been increased once before the final casing was 3D printed. However with the RPi extension kit PCB not assigned to any particular location in the casing, it was hard to place this PCB on a proper location.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, with the decision to remove the RPi from the casing for the final design and tests, more space was available in the casing. By taking proper use of this available space, the RPi extension kit PCB could be implemented in the casing. Regarding the future, a larger casing would not be needed if the PCBs would be designed and manufactured with surface mount (SMD) components. This would significantly decrease the amount of space needed inside the casing, and could probably even decrease the casing dimensions.<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
To take into account the specified weight and dimensions that were desired in the crude approximation of the final design, a solution has to be proposed to meet these values. By drawing a PCB in advance with proper software (Eagle, CADstar, Altium), the dimensions of the PCB could be optimized according to the casing. Also mounting holes could be placed on favorable locations. For the PCB it is important to make use of SMD components to reduce unnecessarily high costs and to minimize the space of the PCBs. Through-Hole components would have extra exposed connections on the bottom of the board that could interfere with other electronics and the casing, and are therefore not preferred. When one decreases the space of the PCBs and the dimensions of the components, this would generally also lead to a decreased weight of the final product.<br />
<br />
===Reordering of Casing===<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89047PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T10:09:06Z<p>20173932: /* Inner Walls Casing */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
The 3D printing process did not go completely according to plan. This is partly due to bad communication with the 3D printing contact and partly due to 3D printer failures. From the 3D printing contact it became clear that in the final design inner walls had to be added for increased stability. By adding these inner walls, such that the power supply would be on the left side of the casing, followed by the two PCBs that control the solenoids in the middle, followed by the RPi on the right of the casing, these parts would be kept separated from each other. <br />
<br />
It followed that indeed the stability for the casing increased. However in the 3D printing process something went wrong due to which the inner walls had been printed twice, thus encompassing twice the space in the casing. This posed problems with the placement of the two PCBs in the middle, since these did not fit anymore in the desired location. Eventually the decision had been made to place one PCB on the left side (on top of the power supply) and one PCB on the right side of the casing.<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
When manufacturing the final design, problems quickly arose with respect to the space of the casing. During the design process of the casing, the space had already been increased once before the final casing was 3D printed. However with the RPi extension kit PCB not assigned to any particular location in the casing, it was hard to place this PCB on a proper location.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, with the decision to remove the RPi from the casing for the final design and tests, more space was available in the casing. By taking proper use of this available space, the RPi extension kit PCB could be implemented in the casing. Regarding the future, a larger casing would not be needed if the PCBs would be designed and manufactured with surface mount (SMD) components. This would significantly decrease the amount of space needed inside the casing, and could probably even decrease the casing dimensions.<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
<br />
===Reordering of Casing===<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89045PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T10:08:32Z<p>20173932: /* Space Casing */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
The 3D printing process did not go completely according to plan. This is partly due to bad communication with the 3D printing contact and partly due to 3D printer failures. From the 3D printing contact it became clear that in the final design inner walls had to be added for increased stability. By adding these inner walls, such that the power supply would be on the left side of the design casing, followed by the two PCBs that control the solenoids in the middle, followed by the RPi on the right of the casing, these parts would be kept separated from each other. <br />
<br />
It followed that indeed the stability for the design casing increased. However in the 3D printing process something went wrong due to which the inner walls had been printed twice, thus encompassing twice the space in the design casing. This posed problems with the placement of the two PCBs in the middle, since these did not fit anymore in the desired location. Eventually the decision had been made to place one PCB on the left side (on top of the power supply) and one PCB on the right side of the design casing.<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
When manufacturing the final design, problems quickly arose with respect to the space of the casing. During the design process of the casing, the space had already been increased once before the final casing was 3D printed. However with the RPi extension kit PCB not assigned to any particular location in the casing, it was hard to place this PCB on a proper location.<br />
<br />
Ultimately, with the decision to remove the RPi from the casing for the final design and tests, more space was available in the casing. By taking proper use of this available space, the RPi extension kit PCB could be implemented in the casing. Regarding the future, a larger casing would not be needed if the PCBs would be designed and manufactured with surface mount (SMD) components. This would significantly decrease the amount of space needed inside the casing, and could probably even decrease the casing dimensions.<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
<br />
===Reordering of Casing===<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89038PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T10:01:15Z<p>20173932: /* Inner Walls Casing */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
The 3D printing process did not go completely according to plan. This is partly due to bad communication with the 3D printing contact and partly due to 3D printer failures. From the 3D printing contact it became clear that in the final design inner walls had to be added for increased stability. By adding these inner walls, such that the power supply would be on the left side of the design casing, followed by the two PCBs that control the solenoids in the middle, followed by the RPi on the right of the casing, these parts would be kept separated from each other. <br />
<br />
It followed that indeed the stability for the design casing increased. However in the 3D printing process something went wrong due to which the inner walls had been printed twice, thus encompassing twice the space in the design casing. This posed problems with the placement of the two PCBs in the middle, since these did not fit anymore in the desired location. Eventually the decision had been made to place one PCB on the left side (on top of the power supply) and one PCB on the right side of the design casing.<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
<br />
===Reordering of Casing===<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89023PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T09:51:58Z<p>20173932: /* Micro USB cable hole */</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
On the right side of the design casing a cutout is placed for the entry of the micro USB cable for the RaspberryPi (RPi). The hole has been created according to the standard dimensions of a micro USB plug, however the casing of the micro USB itself had not been taken into account. This posed problems, since the micro USB is now too large to enter the design casing. <br />
<br />
As a solution to this problem the RPi has been moved outside of the design casing for the final design and tests. Luckily this could be done easily due to the availability of the RPi extension kit with a large ribbon cable. Therefore for the future it is important to also take into account the casing of the micro USB itself when creating a cutout for the micro USB.<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
<br />
===Reordering of Casing===<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=89007PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-28T09:44:39Z<p>20173932: </p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.<br />
<br />
===Micro USB cable hole===<br />
<br />
===Inner Walls Casing===<br />
<br />
===Space Casing===<br />
<br />
===Future PCB Creation===<br />
<br />
===Reordering of Casing===<br />
<br />
===Communication with Software Team===</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements&diff=88871PRE2019 3 Group4 Design Flaws and Future Improvements2020-03-27T15:50:27Z<p>20173932: Created page with 'On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a desig…'</p>
<hr />
<div>On this separate wiki page the design flaws that arose during the assembly of the electronics in the casing will be described. Also, if applicable, a solution is given to a design flaw such that this may be prevented in the future.</div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=88870PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-27T15:48:41Z<p>20173932: /* Design Flaws and Future Improvements */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in [ '''BRON HIER''' ], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Design Flaws and Future Improvements==<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D printing of the casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 Versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 14 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15 hours || Creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || x hours || Implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=88869PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-27T15:47:56Z<p>20173932: /* Design Flaws and Future Improvements */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in [ '''BRON HIER''' ], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Design Flaws and Future Improvements==<br />
During the assembly of the components in the casing, several problems arose. This is partly due to the fact that the 3D-printed casing failed in the end, partly due to lack of communication between the hardware and software team, and partly due to poor design choices for the casing. All the design flaws and solution in the form of future improvements are described on [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Design_Flaws_and_Future_Improvements|this page]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 Versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 14 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15 hours || Creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || x hours || Implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=88868PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-27T15:42:56Z<p>20173932: /* Prototype Braillearn */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in [ '''BRON HIER''' ], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Design Flaws and Future Improvements==<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 Versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 14 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15 hours || Creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || x hours || Implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=88867PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-27T15:42:30Z<p>20173932: /* Prototype Braillearn */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille <ref name=LegoBraille1> Closing The Gap. (2019). Lego Introducing LEGO Braille Bricks. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref> <ref name=LegoBraille2> TechCrunch. (2019). LEGO Braille bricks are the best, nicest and, in retrospect, most obvious idea ever. Retrieved from: https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref>. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in [ '''BRON HIER''' ], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content <ref name='Annie1> Thinkerbell Labs. Annie. Retrieved from: https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref> <ref name='Annie2> Closing The Gap. (2019). Annie – World’s first Self-Learning Braille Device for the Visually Impaired. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref>. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher <ref name='Taptilo1> OHFA TECH INC. Taptilo. Retrieved from: https://www.taptilo.com/</ref> <ref name=Taptilo2> Closing The Gap. (2017). Taptilo: New Smart Device to Teach Braille. Retrieved from: https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref>. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in. <ref name=Hable1> Hable. Retrieved from: https://iamhable.com</ref> <ref name=Hable2> Cursor. (2019). Hable laat blinden met braille appen. Retrieved from: https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings can be found [[#Meeting with Hable|here]].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical Design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Design Flaws and Future Improvements<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 Versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 14 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 15 hours || Creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours), Report links 'Exisiting Devices' (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || x hours || Implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=88170PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-25T16:18:57Z<p>20173932: /* Week 7 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
===Outcome===<br />
The printing process brought with it some difficulties. We dedicated a new page to it, which can be read [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Printing|here]].<br />
<br />
==Electrical design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours), recording voice (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 7==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 14 hours || Group meeting (0.5 hours), soldering electronics (4 hours), prepare and put everything in casing (6 hours), find and fix all casing design flaws (2 hours), meeting with Ivo about hardware implementation and pin definitions (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 14.5 hours || Creating wood-replacement for failed 3D print part (8.5 hours), Voice-audio editing (1.25 hours), Software (3.5 hours), Writing about printing (1.25 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || x hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || x hours || Implement exercises in software (x hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=87376PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-22T15:31:46Z<p>20173932: /* Week 6 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Approach, Planning + Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=USE aspects=<br />
<br />
==Users==<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
==Society==<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
==Enterprise==<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=State of the art: Existing Devices=<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research into braille=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Prototype Braillearn=<br />
<br />
==Design layout: hardware & software==<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
==Case in SolidWorks==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
==Electrical design==<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
==Software==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
===Structure===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage is the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make use of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here] TODO: Record again in English<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voices is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
====MP3 versus WAV====<br />
The mixer library supports both WAV files and MP3 files. Both formats have their advantages. WAV files are uncompressed, meaning that recording is reproduced without any loss in audio quality. But the big downside is the resulting large file sizes.<br />
<br />
The MP3 format is way smaller. This is due to that the MP3 format compresses their files. This results in small files but also the overall sound quality is decreased as compared to WAV files. The sound quality is decreased but usually good enough for average listeners. Using the ‘cheap’ speaker we are planning to use, it’s unlikely that any difference between WAV and MP3 could even be heard.<br />
<br />
Since we are recording quite a number of audio files we’ve therefore chosen to store them in MP3 format because of their smaller file sizes.<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
====Tutorial====<br />
<br />
In an ideal situation a supervisor could help the visually impaired user to set up Braillearn by reading the manual mentioned [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]]. This manual tells the user everything he/she would need to know about the device. But we want to make the user as independent as possible when using our device. One of the disadvantages of the contemporary braille learning techniques is the need of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student as mentioned in [LINK HIER]. To prevent this issue of occurring here we designed a tutorial in which the user is audio-guided through the interface and needs to participate actively. <br />
<br />
The tutorial consist of 5 parts. Each part tackles a different module of the device. We understand that a user who has used the device frequently won’t need to listen to the complete tutorial. Therefore the user can skip parts by pressing the ‘next’ button when the specific part is playing.<br />
<br />
The parts discussed are the following:<br />
<br />
* ''Part 1:'' Introduction of the device<br />
* ''Part 2:'' Explanation of buttons<br />
* ''Part 3:'' Explanation of Braille cell usage<br />
* ''Part 4:'' The learning modes<br />
* ''Part 5:'' Conclusion and how to proceed<br />
<br />
As already mentioned the tutorial (and the rest of the device) uses recorded voices. For this we needed to create a script of everything that needs to be recorded. The script can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Script|here]].<br />
<br />
==Manual==<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
==Usability testing==<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
==Bill of materials==<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Discussion & Outlook=<br />
<br />
'''ONLY THE THINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN YET IN THIS SECTION:'''<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design (one addition already done: microphone)<br />
<br />
<br />
The main limitations of our product concerns the Braille cells that are implemented. Currently there are only two six-point braille cells that are implemented on the top of our product. According to the experiences of blind people, they request at least a 40-point Braille cells on the device. Otherwise they cannot read words or sentences properly. Furthermore it will take some effort and time on their behalf. Due to financial reasons as such a Braille cell (40-point) will take about thousands of euros, this is not implemented on our product. However this is at the expense of their experience which should be valued more than financial aspects. Furthermore, the construction of the six-point braille cell can also be refined to resemble the dots in braille literature more. The current cell is quite rough.<br />
<br />
Another limitation concerns the current design of our product. Blind people are very sensitive in terms of accepting that they are blind. For this reason, by giving them something that is modern or in line with their personality, there is expected that this feeling will be reduced and be turned in something positive. However our current design does not meet the expectations in terms of modernity and therefore blind people are less likely to use our product, even if it is beneficial for them. This is basically the principle of disuse of technologies which is not the direction the project hopes to take. <br />
<br />
The audio is also a limitation of the product as it sounds very unnatural. Blind people experience the sound of our product as ‘robotic’ and not pleasant. Therefore learning Braille might also feel unpleasant. By using an other type of speaker which produces better sounds, this might be solved. However this is more expensive. <br />
<br />
In terms of audio, there are also additions that have been thought of in future design. By adding a microphone to our product, a new type of modus can be introduced: letter_in/voice_letter_out. In this modus, a blind person has to feel the combination of Braille cells and then have to pronounce the correct letter that corresponds to this combination. By checking the pronounced letter, our product could indicate if this is correct or not. This principle might also work for pronounced words and even sentences. So there are many new options available with this new addition.<br />
<br />
Furthermore, building a program or website that allows teachers to create their own study material can greatly improve the learning curve and enthusiasm of students. The new exercises can be made in a certain file type (e.g. excel) and then be uploaded to the device either via the internet or via a cable. The device should then be able to read the file, add it to the existing exercises and convert the input to the desired output of the braille cells. <br />
<br />
Another useful addition to the device would be the option to track the performance of students. The tutor can use this to offer extra assistance. Moreover, it can be used to show students their own progress, identify problem areas and stimulate learning by implementing elements of gamification.<br />
<br />
Last, a battery could be implemented to make the device more portable. Currently, it needs an adapter plugged into an outlet, which limits freedom to move around and can be quite tedious in a classroom environment.<br />
<br />
Even though our current design does not meet the main requirements of Blind people, it is still a great attempt in terms of contributing to Braille learning. In particular how to make it more enjoyable to learn Braille. The project started was basically a process of acquiring knowledge of Braille learning and designing and re-designing the product based on evaluations, and by ending with an end-product that works in terms of functionality is a great attempt in the right direction of Braille learning and how it should be: enjoyable and useful. It also is significantly cheaper than current state-of-the-art devices, which makes it more accessible to educational institutes and personal use. By improving the current design in terms of limitations as mentioned before and by adding additions, there is expected that more blind people are willing to use technological solutions our product. In this way, more blind people are hoped to be reached and showed the importance of Braille. Therefore the expected impact is that the number of people that can read Braille will be increased, at least more than 10% as research has shown.<br />
<br />
=Meeting with Hable= <br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=New ideas & sketches=<br />
<br />
==Approaches for wrong input answers==<br />
<br />
* Option 1: the user gets a second and third chance to give the correct input. If the user fails to give the correct answer, the device shows the correct answer on the sample cell and moves on to the next exercise. At the end of the modus, all the incorrect answers are asked once again to ensure the user knows the correct answer. After the modus, the device informs the user how many exercises were answered correctly in the first, second, third or fourth instance.<br />
<br />
* Option 2: after a wrong input, the user is shown the correct answer on the sample cell. Afterwards, the incorrect exercise is repeated a couple of time throughout the rest of the modus. In case of an incorrect answer, the procedure is repeated.<br />
<br />
* Option 3: the incorrect exercise is shown on the sample cell after the modus is done. The user has to repeat the code on the input cell.<br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact with Visio (2 hours), research into hardware and software implementation Raspberry Pi (6 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 9 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), making exercises (6 hours), restructure wikipage completely (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 8.25 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (2 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 6 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour), Testing all currently implemented features and combinations (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 6.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (3 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 5.5 hours|| Work on Manual (0.5 hours), Work on Usability tests (0.5 hours), Work on Discussion & Outlook (0.5 hours), Think of and sketch GUI for teachers (1 hour), Looking into literature and state-of-the-art for strategies that help remembering correct answers & construct a strategy for wrong answers for Braillearn (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Improving top view picture of the Manual (0.5 hours), rewriting text corresponding to this picture (1 hour) in the Manual, writing part 1 of Vision/Future (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Literature summaries=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86919PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T16:24:10Z<p>20173932: /* Week 6 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
=== Structure ===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage are the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make used of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voice is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
'''Iets over mp3 vs wav'''<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 7.75 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (1.5 hours), wrote the enterprise section (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 4 hours || Working on script for sproken text (2.5 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86918PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T16:22:55Z<p>20173932: /* Enterprise */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
Looking at the enterprise aspects there are two main stakeholders, which are respectively the manufacturer of the Braillearn and educational institutes. <br />
* Manufacturer of the Braillearn: The Braillearn will have to be manufactured to be as low-cost, but reliable, as possible such that it can be adapted by a large portion of the blind or visually impaired people. With the total cost of the components being €145,33 and an estimated production cost of €20,00 per Braillearn, the total cost of the system would be €165,33. If it were to be introduced on the market the rule of thumb for good profit is considered to be 20% on top of the purchase price, which would mean that the Braillearn would cost €194,80 which is much lower than all other existing products on the market. When the price of a product is low and the product satisfies the needs of the users, the Braillearn would become the standard on the market for people willing to learn the braille language and could be sold in bulk, reducing the price even further.<br />
* Educational institutes: If educational institutes were to adapt to the Braillearn, a lot of profit can be obtained from new students willing to learn braille. There would still be a need for skilled braille teachers, but they would infer a more passive role in the process of learning braille. This would be in the form of psychological help and encouragement. Also if a student cannot get the results it wants, they can choose for face-to-face braille training with a braille teacher.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
=== Structure ===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage are the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make used of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voice is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
'''Iets over mp3 vs wav'''<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 7 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 4 hours || Working on script for sproken text (2.5 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86917PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T15:46:50Z<p>20173932: /* Week 6 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
----<br />
<br />
=== Structure ===<br />
<br />
The code for Braillearn was written in Python on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. The choice for using a Raspberry Pi as compared to using an Arduino was made following a number of reasons.<br />
First of all, the Raspberry Pi is a lot more powerful than an Arduino. Our Raspberry Pi has 1.2Ghz quad-core processor while a normal Arduino board contains often an ATmega processor with a CPU speed in the range of 32 MHz. So power wise there is very large difference. And since we planned on using multiple threads and also a built-in text-to-speech engine (this was later changed) we really required the extra power.<br />
<br />
Another advantage are the number of available libraries. Python, which is supported by the Raspberry Pi, brings with it a lot of internal libraries and external libraries we could make use of. This makes the programming job easier and more efficient since these libraries are used by a lot of people by which they get improved and fine-tuned until they are nearly perfect. This way we are a lot better of than trying to program all these low-end features ourselves.<br />
In total we are making use of the following libraries:<br />
<br />
* ''importlib'' : Using this library we can dynamically load tasks into our program. This makes it possible for user-created tasks to be imported into our program. <br />
* ''time'' : Used to halt the program for a number of milliseconds. By using this we can add small breaks between audio fragments to give the user time to take in the information heard.<br />
* ''RPi.GPIO'' : Used to be able to control the 40 GPIO pins located on the Raspberry PI. This library makes it possible to easily set up inputs and outputs for our device.<br />
* ''random'' : Used for making random choices. Using this the questions of a task can be shuffled or random audio fragments can be chosen. <br />
* ''mixer (from pygame)'' : Pygame itself is a cross-platform set of Python modules designed for writing video games. While we are not doing that, we make used of their mixer module. This makes dealing with sounds quite easy for us.<br />
<br />
Our plan initially was to use the ''pyttsx3'' text-to-speech conversion library to read out texts to the user. This library works offline, so it doesn’t require an internet connection to work. On Windows the results of the library were very positive, but when we tried to run it on the Raspberry Pi the audio quality appeared to be very low. It is possible to distinguish words if listening carefully, but the amount of effort to understand what is being spoken is way to high and distracts the user from learning Braille. On top of that we can imagine that such a robotic voice could become irritating very easily when working with the device for some time.<br />
<br />
An audio fragment using the ''pyttsx3'' library can be heard [https://drive.google.com/open?id=1QIP2RlMzw6EndXWBt26zP4BeF9uXajdE here]<br />
<br />
To cope with this setback we decided to record the voices ourselves. The advantage is that it won’t sound robotic and therefore is a lot easier to understand. To make the audio as pleasant as possible we’ve decided to use a female voice because we think this sounds more friendly and encouraging.<br />
<br />
A big disadvantage though of using recorded voice is the decreased modularity. All texts being spoken must be recorded before-hand so new words can’t be spoken out. Therefore for future a main task is to create / find a library to reproduce high quality spoken text on a Raspberry Pi. '''(AS CAN BE FOUND IN SECTION: FUTURE WORK)'''<br />
<br />
'''Iets over mp3 vs wav'''<br />
<br />
https://www.arduino.cc/en/products/compare<br />
https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 7 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours), soldering RPi extension kit (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 4 hours || Working on script for sproken text (2.5 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours), Writing about software structure (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86851PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T14:01:44Z<p>20173932: /* Week 6 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 5.5 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours), wrote the society section (2.2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art&diff=86850PRE2019 3 Group4 State Of The Art2020-03-20T14:01:09Z<p>20173932: /* State Of The Art */</p>
<hr />
<div>=State Of The Art=<br />
On this separate wiki page the State Of The Art (SOTA) regarding braille teaching devices and methods to learn braille are described.<br />
<br />
'''Braille reading and writing teaching devices:'''<br />
* ''Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille'' <ref name=ArabicBraille> Rahimi, N. A. Z. N. M., Hany Mohamad Hanif, N. H., & Janin, Z. (2019). Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille. 2018 IEEE 5th International Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application, ICSIMA 2018, November, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSIMA.2018.8688763 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' The literacy rate of visually impaired people is decreasing, which poses problems with reading. This causes a gap of information to emerge amongst this certain target audience. Due to the lack of properly skilled braille teachers, this problem is hard to handle. When a braille teaching device is introduced on the market, it is mostly focused on the roman alphabet, not including other languages. Now an Arabic braille learning device is introduced that works with an Arduino Uno and miniature solenoids. Tests have only yet been performed with LEDs lighting up to represent the braille dots.<br />
<br />
* ''Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy'' <ref name=ToysBraille> Jain, T., Christy, B., Das, A. V., Bhaumik, D., & Satgunam, P. (2018). Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy. Optometry and Vision Science, 95(9), 902–907. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001268 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille teaching toys for blind or visually impaired kids are very limited. Therefore a 3D-printed braille puzzle for educational use has been developed. Fittle is based on fitting pieces of a braille puzzle on a certain place, and when it is correct, one is able to spell the braille word and feel the dots that the word denotes. The best results occurred after performing multiple runs with the Fittle.<br />
<br />
* ''An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh'' <ref name=MathBraille> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2020). An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh. Assistive Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2020.1734112 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Since there is a lack of assistive tools to learn mathematics, blind students in Bangladesh are still using outdated learning tools. A study has been performed to create an effective and affordable assistive tool based on the needs of the blind students learning mathematics. Interactive methods, such as hearing and touching, were an important criterion in the design. By performing empirical tests and evaluations with teachers, experts, and end users, the use of this novel design proved to be promising in practice.<br />
<br />
* ''“Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh'' <ref name=BBLA> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2019). “Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh. Interactive Learning Environments, 0(0), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1619588 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Educational software for visually impaired students is widely available. However in the Bangla language there is a lack of proper braille teaching software that is affordable. The Bangla Braille Learning Application (BBLA) is a novel approach for low-cost braille teaching to visually impaired students. With vibrations and audio feedback, users get proper responses to their inputs.<br />
<br />
* ''Learning to read braille through play'' <ref name=PlayBraille> Lopez, R. M., Pinder, S. D., & Davies, T. C. (2019). Matuto, Magbasa, Maglaro: Learning to read braille through play. Assistive Technology, 0(0), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2019.1619633 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' This research is about an engaging co-design process to create a device to help visually impaired children to identify letters and short words in braille as a first step towards reading braille. Current barriers regarding braille teaching devices are accessibility, portability, durability, usability, and functions. A design has been tested in practice, with the feedback to add various learning modes, and the reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the design.<br />
<br />
* ''E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device'' <ref name='LearningBraille1> Wagh, P.M., Prajapati, U.B., Shinde, M., Salunke, P.M., Chaskar, V.A., Telavane, S., & Yadav, V. (2016). E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device. 2016 Twenty Second National Conference on Communication (NCC), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/NCC.2016.7561162</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Since the literacy rate among visually impaired people in many countries is very low, a braille learning device was developed that uses a braille keypad and microphone as input and produces speech and pins of a single braille cell as output.<br />
<br />
* ''Spoken dialogue system for learning Braille'' <ref name='LearningBraille2> Araki, M., Shibahara, K., & Mizukami, Y. (2011). Spoken Dialogue System for Learning Braille. 2011 IEEE 35th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference, 152-156. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMPSAC.2011.27</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' In the process of learning braille, it is important to have another person helping with identifying correspondence between a braille pattern and a character. A new system is introduced which bans the need for external help and boosts the individual capacities of blind or visually impaired people with a spoken dialogue system. The system consists of a braille display, speech recognizer, speech synthesizer, and a dialogue manager. Furthermore the speech was created on a system with a multimodal interaction architecture.<br />
<br />
* ''Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children'' <ref name='SelfLearn> Srihari, C., Prashanthi, S., Sriranjani, V., & Sobithaahila, S. (2018). Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children. IEEE International Conference on Power, Control, Signals and Instrumentation Engineering, ICPCSI 2017, 900–904. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPCSI.2017.8391842</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' A target group of children between the ages 3 to 6 has been considered for testing a novel design to teach the basic concepts of braille in the Tamil language. A haptic interface has been created which incorporates active learning by speech recognition. Also different levels of complexity are incorporated in the design to cover a broader braille spectrum.<br />
<br />
* ''Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System'' <ref name='BrailleGrade1> Vaca, D., Jacome, C., Saeteros, M., & Caiza, G. (2018). Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System. 2018 IEEE 2nd Colombian Conference on Robotics and Automation, CCRA 2018, 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCRA.2018.8588144</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' This paper introduces a low-cost prototype for reading, writing, and audio-assisted evaluation in the process of learning braille. Writing was done with 10 buttons placed in matrix form. Reading was performed with 10 push-pull solenoids. Also memorization and final evaluation of the braille language was tested. The complete design was running on a Raspberry Pi 3B due to its high-speed performance and relatively low cost.<br />
<br />
* ''A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals'' <ref name='CostEff> Adnan, M. E., Dastagir, N. M., Jabin, J., Chowdhury, A. M., & Islam, M. R. (2018). A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals. 5th IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference 2017, R10-HTC 2017, 2018-Janua, 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1109/R10-HTC.2017.8288932</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Learning for blind or visually impaired people is much harder, since they cannot receive visual information in the process. Now a novel affordable braille teaching prototype is considered. The prototype is based on solenoids to represent the braille dots, controlled by an Arduino Uno. Eventually it could be used to learn the basics of the braille language and to learn all the letters one by one.<br />
<br />
'''Braille mathematics teaching devices:'''<br />
* ''Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations'' <ref name='BrailleMathOp> Tahir, M. S. M., Hanif, N. H. H. M., & Yusuf, H. M. (2019). Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations. 2019 7th International Conference on Mechatronics Engineering, ICOM 2019, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOM47790.2019.8952054</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Mathematics is a key to properly functioning in our current society. For visually impaired or blind people learning mathematics is expensive and does not yet comprise all the challenges to solve proper mathematical operations. Now a design with 12 miniature solenoids controlled by an Arduino Uno is introduced. The input of the solenoids had to match the output to get a correct result in an exercise. Tests have been performed for additions, subtractions, and multiplications. It was found that this way of teaching braille mathematics could eventually be used to solve simple calculations.<br />
<br />
'''Braille teaching techniques and process:'''<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers'' <ref name=IdentityBraille> Toussaint, K. A., Scheithauer, M. C., Tiger, J. H., & Saunders, K. J. (2017). Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.382 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Three visually impaired children were taught to make tactile discriminations of the braille alphabet within a matching-to-sample format. A braille character as sample stimulus was presented to the children, and they had to select the matching stimulus from a three-comparison array. To increase the ease of use, braille characters were divided in sets where there was a maximum difference between the braille dots of a stimulus. Over time the difficulty was increased, which also increased the braille level of the children.<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching braille to children'' <ref name=KidsBraille> Keil, S. (2004). Teaching braille to children. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 22(1), 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461960402200103 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' This article is about everything that comes into play when teaching braille to children. There is not one proper way to teach braille to children, since there are a variety of braillists that need to be taught in a variety of contexts. Regarding the future, it is important to do further research in teaching braille and the literacy of the pupils.<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading'' <ref name=StimulusBraille> Scheithauer, M. C., & Tiger, J. H. (2014). Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(3), 612–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.129 </ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' The first steps towards learning braille are line tracking, which is moving ones finger horizontally across a line until the line ends. Current methods for line tracking are incomplete, since these apply lines with small gaps between subsequent characters. This study focused on applying larger gaps between subsequent characters to increase braille reading mastery.<br />
<br />
* ''Learn Braille through good vibrations'' <ref name=VibrationBraille> Hodson, H. (2014). Learn Braille through good vibrations. New Scientist, 222(2974), 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(14)61208-2</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' In the United States only 10% of the blind school-aged children learn braille due to the lack of teachers. Now gloves are introduced with vibrating motors at each knuckle and when one of these motors vibrate, the user presses the corresponding key. Audio feedback is given about what character was typed. By applying this method passively, one can learn braille via passive haptic learning.<br />
<br />
* ''The today and tomorrow of Braille learning'' <ref name='TodayAndTomorrowBrailleLearning> Guerreiro, J., Gonçalves, D., Marques, D., Guerreiro, T.J., Nicolau, H., & Montague, K. (2013). The today and tomorrow of Braille learning. ASSETS '13. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513383.2513415</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille literacy has been declining mostly due to the use of electronic text and assistive software, such as screen readers. However Braille literacy is still the most empowering form of literacy for blind people. Therefore the research goal is to provide new tools to improve Braille literacy. First the problems with the nowadays used methods for learning Braille are stated. Next hardware and software tools for alternative Braille-based applications are shown/discussed.<br />
<br />
'''Design of a braille tactile cell:'''<br />
<br />
* ''Design of a Tactile Braille Cell'' <ref name='DesignCell> Reddy, S. B., Rohan, R., Alvina, G., & Giriraja, C. V. (2018). Design of a Tactile Braille Cell. 2018 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics, ICACCI 2018, 1744–1747. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCI.2018.8554797</ref><br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille is vital for the learning process of visually impaired or blind people, since it empowers education. Therefore it is important to design a low-cost braille cell that is also efficient and has minimum latency. A braille cell has been designed that helps blind or visually impaired people by having two outputs, namely audio and the tactile. A process that involves hearing and feeling improves the overall learning rate of the braille language.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86849PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T14:00:17Z<p>20173932: /* Society */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
===Companies===<br />
* Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
* Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
* End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
===Consumers===<br />
* Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
* Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
* Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
* End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3.3 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86848PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T13:58:58Z<p>20173932: /* Society */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
In the society section the impact of the Braillearn will be assessed based on two important target groups, namely the companies and consumers. For both target groups the importance of the design phases sourcing, manufacturing, using, and end-of-life are described in detail. <br />
<br />
* Companies:<br />
** Sourcing phase: For companies it is important to not simply distribute a product on the market. It is important to gather enough empirical information and to work closely with the users of the product to incorporate possible feedback from these people. Thus with a design process centered around the users (being the blind and visually impaired), workers can create a product that takes into account the needs and values of this group. The design should also be made measureable to check whether the product will eventually suffice the needs of the blind and visually impaired people. By having measureable guidelines, it is more practical to check where the flaws of a product are present.<br />
** Manufacturing phase: In the manufacturing phase it is important to create a low-cost product that takes into account all specifications of the design. With a new product on the market, a new team is needed to control the manufacturing process, which in turn creates jobs. Most of the research has already been done in the sourcing phase, but component-wise the manufacturing phase is important to be able to create a reliable product for a proper price. With pre-established target prices, weights, functionalities, dimensions, etcetera, it is possible to create an appealing product that satisfies the consumers. However at first it is important to test a crude prototype to simply check the functionalities of a design. For this a test group is needed that will assess the product based on questionnaires about and interactions with the product.<br />
** Using phase: From the using phase feedback will be given back to the designers of the product to refine their design. Since the sourcing phase is already centered around the user, mostly practicalities will come to light to increase the ease of use of the product. This feedback will be incorporated by a design team and the product will be improved for the future.<br />
** End-of-life phase: In this phase, jobs are created for the handling of the lifespan of the product coming to an end. All the components will have to be disposed in an environmental friendly way or they might be re-used. It is important to establish a team of engineers that can assess the quality of components and to check whether it might be re-used in the process.<br />
<br />
* Consumers:<br />
** Sourcing phase: In the sourcing phase the consumers will have the need for a product, which is a device that can teach braille. This will decrease the need for a long trajectory of one-on-one lessons with the lack of braille teachers. Consumers will work closely with the workers to ensure that their needs and values are taken into account in the sourcing phase, and their feedback will be implemented to create a product that appeals to the consumers.<br />
** Manufacturing phase: Consumers and stakeholders will have to invest money in a start-up company to ensure that the manufacturing process will run as smooth as possible. With pre-orders placed on the product, there will be a budget available for the workers to create the product in practice.<br />
** Using phase: The using phase is most important to the consumers. The main societal impact will be from people that are able to learn braille through the process of using the Braillearn. As mentioned earlier it is estimated that 285 million people are either blind or suffering from visual impairment, whereas only an estimated 10% of these people can read braille. If at least a part of this group would be able to learn braille, this would increase their overall independence and it would lead to more chances on the job market. <br />
** End-of-life phase: To recycle parts of the Braillearn, it could be possible to make certain recycling posts that are handled by a small team of engineers. Recycling products is important to decrease the amount of new components being made and therefore to prevent extra pollution.<br />
<br />
Overall it can be seen that mostly the societal impact comes from the fact that more blind or visually impaired people are able to learn the braille language, increasing their independence and educational level. Another impact on society is that jobs will be created for the design, manufacturing, and recycling process, which will boost the economy.<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3.3 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art&diff=86847PRE2019 3 Group4 State Of The Art2020-03-20T13:54:24Z<p>20173932: /* State Of The Art */</p>
<hr />
<div>=State Of The Art=<br />
On this separate wiki page the State Of The Art (SOTA) regarding braille teaching devices and methods to learn braille are described.<br />
<br />
'''Braille reading and writing teaching devices:'''<br />
* ''Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille'' <ref name=ArabicBraille> Rahimi, N. A. Z. N. M., Hany Mohamad Hanif, N. H., & Janin, Z. (2019). Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille. 2018 IEEE 5th International Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application, ICSIMA 2018, November, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSIMA.2018.8688763 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' The literacy rate of visually impaired people is decreasing, which poses problems with reading. This causes a gap of information to emerge amongst this certain target audience. Due to the lack of properly skilled braille teachers, this problem is hard to handle. When a braille teaching device is introduced on the market, it is mostly focused on the roman alphabet, not including other languages. Now an Arabic braille learning device is introduced that works with an Arduino Uno and miniature solenoids. Tests have only yet been performed with LEDs lighting up to represent the braille dots.<br />
<br />
* ''Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy'' <ref name=ToysBraille> Jain, T., Christy, B., Das, A. V., Bhaumik, D., & Satgunam, P. (2018). Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy. Optometry and Vision Science, 95(9), 902–907. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001268 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille teaching toys for blind or visually impaired kids are very limited. Therefore a 3D-printed braille puzzle for educational use has been developed. Fittle is based on fitting pieces of a braille puzzle on a certain place, and when it is correct, one is able to spell the braille word and feel the dots that the word denotes. The best results occurred after performing multiple runs with the Fittle.<br />
<br />
* ''An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh'' <ref name=MathBraille> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2020). An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh. Assistive Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2020.1734112 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Since there is a lack of assistive tools to learn mathematics, blind students in Bangladesh are still using outdated learning tools. A study has been performed to create an effective and affordable assistive tool based on the needs of the blind students learning mathematics. Interactive methods, such as hearing and touching, were an important criterion in the design. By performing empirical tests and evaluations with teachers, experts, and end users, the use of this novel design proved to be promising in practice.<br />
<br />
* ''“Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh'' <ref name=BBLA> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2019). “Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh. Interactive Learning Environments, 0(0), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1619588 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Educational software for visually impaired students is widely available. However in the Bangla language there is a lack of proper braille teaching software that is affordable. The Bangla Braille Learning Application (BBLA) is a novel approach for low-cost braille teaching to visually impaired students. With vibrations and audio feedback, users get proper responses to their inputs.<br />
<br />
* ''Learning to read braille through play'' <ref name=PlayBraille> Lopez, R. M., Pinder, S. D., & Davies, T. C. (2019). Matuto, Magbasa, Maglaro: Learning to read braille through play. Assistive Technology, 0(0), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2019.1619633 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' This research is about an engaging co-design process to create a device to help visually impaired children to identify letters and short words in braille as a first step towards reading braille. Current barriers regarding braille teaching devices are accessibility, portability, durability, usability, and functions. A design has been tested in practice, with the feedback to add various learning modes, and the reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the design.<br />
<br />
* ''E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device'' <ref name='LearningBraille1> Wagh, P.M., Prajapati, U.B., Shinde, M., Salunke, P.M., Chaskar, V.A., Telavane, S., & Yadav, V. (2016). E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device. 2016 Twenty Second National Conference on Communication (NCC), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/NCC.2016.7561162</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Since the literacy rate among visually impaired people in many countries is very low, a braille learning device was developed that uses a braille keypad and microphone as input and produces speech and pins of a single braille cell as output.<br />
<br />
* ''Spoken dialogue system for learning Braille'' <ref name='LearningBraille2> Araki, M., Shibahara, K., & Mizukami, Y. (2011). Spoken Dialogue System for Learning Braille. 2011 IEEE 35th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference, 152-156. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMPSAC.2011.27</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' In the process of learning braille, it is important to have another person helping with identifying correspondence between a braille pattern and a character. A new system is introduced which bans the need for external help and boosts the individual capacities of blind or visually impaired people with a spoken dialogue system. The system consists of a braille display, speech recognizer, speech synthesizer, and a dialogue manager. Furthermore the speech was created on a system with a multimodal interaction architecture.<br />
<br />
* ''Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children'' <ref name='SelfLearn> Srihari, C., Prashanthi, S., Sriranjani, V., & Sobithaahila, S. (2018). Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children. IEEE International Conference on Power, Control, Signals and Instrumentation Engineering, ICPCSI 2017, 900–904. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPCSI.2017.8391842</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' A target group of children between the ages 3 to 6 has been considered for testing a novel design to teach the basic concepts of braille in the Tamil language. A haptic interface has been created which incorporates active learning by speech recognition. Also different levels of complexity are incorporated in the design to cover a broader braille spectrum.<br />
<br />
* ''Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System'' <ref name='BrailleGrade1> Vaca, D., Jacome, C., Saeteros, M., & Caiza, G. (2018). Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System. 2018 IEEE 2nd Colombian Conference on Robotics and Automation, CCRA 2018, 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCRA.2018.8588144</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' This paper introduces a low-cost prototype for reading, writing, and audio-assisted evaluation in the process of learning braille. Writing was done with 10 buttons placed in matrix form. Reading was performed with 10 push-pull solenoids. Also memorization and final evaluation of the braille language was tested. The complete design was running on a Raspberry Pi 3B due to its high-speed performance and relatively low cost.<br />
<br />
* ''A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals'' <ref name='CostEff> Adnan, M. E., Dastagir, N. M., Jabin, J., Chowdhury, A. M., & Islam, M. R. (2018). A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals. 5th IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference 2017, R10-HTC 2017, 2018-Janua, 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1109/R10-HTC.2017.8288932</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Learning for blind or visually impaired people is much harder, since they cannot receive visual information in the process. Now a novel affordable braille teaching prototype is considered. The prototype is based on solenoids to represent the braille dots, controlled by an Arduino Uno. Eventually it could be used to learn the basics of the braille language and to learn all the letters one by one.<br />
<br />
'''Braille mathematics teaching devices:'''<br />
* ''Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations'' <ref name='BrailleMathOp> Tahir, M. S. M., Hanif, N. H. H. M., & Yusuf, H. M. (2019). Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations. 2019 7th International Conference on Mechatronics Engineering, ICOM 2019, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOM47790.2019.8952054</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Mathematics is a key to properly functioning in our current society. For visually impaired or blind people learning mathematics is expensive and does not yet comprise all the challenges to solve proper mathematical operations. Now a design with 12 miniature solenoids controlled by an Arduino Uno is introduced. The input of the solenoids had to match the output to get a correct result in an exercise. Tests have been performed for additions, subtractions, and multiplications. It was found that this way of teaching braille mathematics could eventually be used to solve simple calculations.<br />
<br />
'''Braille teaching techniques and process:'''<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers'' <ref name=IdentityBraille> Toussaint, K. A., Scheithauer, M. C., Tiger, J. H., & Saunders, K. J. (2017). Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.382 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Three visually impaired children were taught to make tactile discriminations of the braille alphabet within a matching-to-sample format. A braille character as sample stimulus was presented to the children, and they had to select the matching stimulus from a three-comparison array. To increase the ease of use, braille characters were divided in sets where there was a maximum difference between the braille dots of a stimulus. Over time the difficulty was increased, which also increased the braille level of the children.<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching braille to children'' <ref name=KidsBraille> Keil, S. (2004). Teaching braille to children. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 22(1), 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461960402200103 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' This article is about everything that comes into play when teaching braille to children. There is not one proper way to teach braille to children, since there are a variety of braillists that need to be taught in a variety of contexts. Regarding the future, it is important to do further research in teaching braille and the literacy of the pupils.<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading'' <ref name=StimulusBraille> Scheithauer, M. C., & Tiger, J. H. (2014). Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(3), 612–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.129 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' The first steps towards learning braille are line tracking, which is moving ones finger horizontally across a line until the line ends. Current methods for line tracking are incomplete, since these apply lines with small gaps between subsequent characters. This study focused on applying larger gaps between subsequent characters to increase braille reading mastery.<br />
<br />
* ''Learn Braille through good vibrations'' <ref name=VibrationBraille> Hodson, H. (2014). Learn Braille through good vibrations. New Scientist, 222(2974), 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(14)61208-2</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' In the United States only 10% of the blind school-aged children learn braille due to the lack of teachers. Now gloves are introduced with vibrating motors at each knuckle and when one of these motors vibrate, the user presses the corresponding key. Audio feedback is given about what character was typed. By applying this method passively, one can learn braille via passive haptic learning.<br />
<br />
* ''The today and tomorrow of Braille learning'' <ref name='TodayAndTomorrowBrailleLearning> Guerreiro, J., Gonçalves, D., Marques, D., Guerreiro, T.J., Nicolau, H., & Montague, K. (2013). The today and tomorrow of Braille learning. ASSETS '13. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513383.2513415</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille literacy has been declining mostly due to the use of electronic text and assistive software, such as screen readers. However Braille literacy is still the most empowering form of literacy for blind people. Therefore the research goal is to provide new tools to improve Braille literacy. First the problems with the nowadays used methods for learning Braille are stated. Next hardware and software tools for alternative Braille-based applications are shown/discussed.<br />
<br />
'''Design of a braille tactile cell:'''<br />
<br />
* ''Design of a Tactile Braille Cell'' <ref name='DesignCell> Reddy, S. B., Rohan, R., Alvina, G., & Giriraja, C. V. (2018). Design of a Tactile Braille Cell. 2018 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics, ICACCI 2018, 1744–1747. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCI.2018.8554797</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille is vital for the learning process of visually impaired or blind people, since it empowers education. Therefore it is important to design a low-cost braille cell that is also efficient and has minimum latency. A braille cell has been designed that helps blind or visually impaired people by having two outputs, namely audio and the tactile. A process that involves hearing and feeling improves the overall learning rate of the braille language.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86845PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T12:51:38Z<p>20173932: /* Primary Users */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. Since these visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3.3 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86844PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T12:49:10Z<p>20173932: </p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. These visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Society=<br />
<br />
=Enterprise=<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3.3 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86842PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T12:44:02Z<p>20173932: /* Week 5 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. These visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 6==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 3.3 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours), continued working on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 4 hours|| Implementing the modi described in the implementation section (2 hours), Fixing bug that crashed the program when invalid braille input was entered (1 hour), Added feature to have each single letter of a word read out loud (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art&diff=86841PRE2019 3 Group4 State Of The Art2020-03-20T12:41:57Z<p>20173932: /* State Of The Art */</p>
<hr />
<div>=State Of The Art=<br />
On this separate wiki page the State Of The Art (SOTA) regarding braille teaching devices and methods to learn braille are described.<br />
<br />
'''Braille reading and writing teaching devices:'''<br />
* ''Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille''<ref name=ArabicBraille> Rahimi, N. A. Z. N. M., Hany Mohamad Hanif, N. H., & Janin, Z. (2019). Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille. 2018 IEEE 5th International Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application, ICSIMA 2018, November, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSIMA.2018.8688763 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' The literacy rate of visually impaired people is decreasing, which poses problems with reading. This causes a gap of information to emerge amongst this certain target audience. Due to the lack of properly skilled braille teachers, this problem is hard to handle. When a braille teaching device is introduced on the market, it is mostly focused on the roman alphabet, not including other languages. Now an Arabic braille learning device is introduced that works with an Arduino Uno and miniature solenoids. Tests have only yet been performed with LEDs lighting up to represent the braille dots.<br />
<br />
* ''Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy''<ref name=ToysBraille> Jain, T., Christy, B., Das, A. V., Bhaumik, D., & Satgunam, P. (2018). Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy. Optometry and Vision Science, 95(9), 902–907. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001268 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille teaching toys for blind or visually impaired kids are very limited. Therefore a 3D-printed braille puzzle for educational use has been developed. Fittle is based on fitting pieces of a braille puzzle on a certain place, and when it is correct, one is able to spell the braille word and feel the dots that the word denotes. The best results occurred after performing multiple runs with the Fittle.<br />
<br />
* ''An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh''<ref name=MathBraille> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2020). An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh. Assistive Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2020.1734112 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Since there is a lack of assistive tools to learn mathematics, blind students in Bangladesh are still using outdated learning tools. A study has been performed to create an effective and affordable assistive tool based on the needs of the blind students learning mathematics. Interactive methods, such as hearing and touching, were an important criterion in the design. By performing empirical tests and evaluations with teachers, experts, and end users, the use of this novel design proved to be promising in practice.<br />
<br />
* ''“Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh''<ref name=BBLA> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2019). “Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh. Interactive Learning Environments, 0(0), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1619588 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Educational software for visually impaired students is widely available. However in the Bangla language there is a lack of proper braille teaching software that is affordable. The Bangla Braille Learning Application (BBLA) is a novel approach for low-cost braille teaching to visually impaired students. With vibrations and audio feedback, users get proper responses to their inputs.<br />
<br />
* ''Learning to read braille through play''<ref name=PlayBraille> Lopez, R. M., Pinder, S. D., & Davies, T. C. (2019). Matuto, Magbasa, Maglaro: Learning to read braille through play. Assistive Technology, 0(0), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2019.1619633 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' This research is about an engaging co-design process to create a device to help visually impaired children to identify letters and short words in braille as a first step towards reading braille. Current barriers regarding braille teaching devices are accessibility, portability, durability, usability, and functions. A design has been tested in practice, with the feedback to add various learning modes, and the reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the design.<br />
<br />
* ''E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device''<ref name='LearningBraille1> Wagh, P.M., Prajapati, U.B., Shinde, M., Salunke, P.M., Chaskar, V.A., Telavane, S., & Yadav, V. (2016). E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device. 2016 Twenty Second National Conference on Communication (NCC), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/NCC.2016.7561162</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Since the literacy rate among visually impaired people in many countries is very low, a braille learning device was developed that uses a braille keypad and microphone as input and produces speech and pins of a single braille cell as output.<br />
<br />
* ''Spoken dialogue system for learning Braille''<ref name='LearningBraille2> Araki, M., Shibahara, K., & Mizukami, Y. (2011). Spoken Dialogue System for Learning Braille. 2011 IEEE 35th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference, 152-156. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMPSAC.2011.27</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' In the process of learning braille, it is important to have another person helping with identifying correspondence between a braille pattern and a character. A new system is introduced which bans the need for external help and boosts the individual capacities of blind or visually impaired people with a spoken dialogue system. The system consists of a braille display, speech recognizer, speech synthesizer, and a dialogue manager. Furthermore the speech was created on a system with a multimodal interaction architecture.<br />
<br />
* ''Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children''<ref name='SelfLearn> Srihari, C., Prashanthi, S., Sriranjani, V., & Sobithaahila, S. (2018). Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children. IEEE International Conference on Power, Control, Signals and Instrumentation Engineering, ICPCSI 2017, 900–904. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPCSI.2017.8391842</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' A target group of children between the ages 3 to 6 has been considered for testing a novel design to teach the basic concepts of braille in the Tamil language. A haptic interface has been created which incorporates active learning by speech recognition. Also different levels of complexity are incorporated in the design to cover a broader braille spectrum.<br />
<br />
* ''Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System''<ref name='BrailleGrade1> Vaca, D., Jacome, C., Saeteros, M., & Caiza, G. (2018). Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System. 2018 IEEE 2nd Colombian Conference on Robotics and Automation, CCRA 2018, 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCRA.2018.8588144</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' This paper introduces a low-cost prototype for reading, writing, and audio-assisted evaluation in the process of learning braille. Writing was done with 10 buttons placed in matrix form. Reading was performed with 10 push-pull solenoids. Also memorization and final evaluation of the braille language was tested. The complete design was running on a Raspberry Pi 3B due to its high-speed performance and relatively low cost.<br />
<br />
* ''A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals''<ref name='CostEff> Adnan, M. E., Dastagir, N. M., Jabin, J., Chowdhury, A. M., & Islam, M. R. (2018). A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals. 5th IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference 2017, R10-HTC 2017, 2018-Janua, 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1109/R10-HTC.2017.8288932</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Learning for blind or visually impaired people is much harder, since they cannot receive visual information in the process. Now a novel affordable braille teaching prototype is considered. The prototype is based on solenoids to represent the braille dots, controlled by an Arduino Uno. Eventually it could be used to learn the basics of the braille language and to learn all the letters one by one.<br />
<br />
'''Braille mathematics teaching devices:'''<br />
* ''Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations''<ref name='BrailleMathOp> Tahir, M. S. M., Hanif, N. H. H. M., & Yusuf, H. M. (2019). Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations. 2019 7th International Conference on Mechatronics Engineering, ICOM 2019, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOM47790.2019.8952054</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Mathematics is a key to properly functioning in our current society. For visually impaired or blind people learning mathematics is expensive and does not yet comprise all the challenges to solve proper mathematical operations. Now a design with 12 miniature solenoids controlled by an Arduino Uno is introduced. The input of the solenoids had to match the output to get a correct result in an exercise. Tests have been performed for additions, subtractions, and multiplications. It was found that this way of teaching braille mathematics could eventually be used to solve simple calculations.<br />
<br />
'''Braille teaching techniques and process:'''<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers''<ref name=IdentityBraille> Toussaint, K. A., Scheithauer, M. C., Tiger, J. H., & Saunders, K. J. (2017). Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.382 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Three visually impaired children were taught to make tactile discriminations of the braille alphabet within a matching-to-sample format. A braille character as sample stimulus was presented to the children, and they had to select the matching stimulus from a three-comparison array. To increase the ease of use, braille characters were divided in sets where there was a maximum difference between the braille dots of a stimulus. Over time the difficulty was increased, which also increased the braille level of the children.<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching braille to children''<ref name=KidsBraille> Keil, S. (2004). Teaching braille to children. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 22(1), 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461960402200103 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' This article is about everything that comes into play when teaching braille to children. There is not one proper way to teach braille to children, since there are a variety of braillists that need to be taught in a variety of contexts. Regarding the future, it is important to do further research in teaching braille and the literacy of the pupils.<br />
<br />
* ''Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading''<ref name=StimulusBraille> Scheithauer, M. C., & Tiger, J. H. (2014). Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(3), 612–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.129 </ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' The first steps towards learning braille are line tracking, which is moving ones finger horizontally across a line until the line ends. Current methods for line tracking are incomplete, since these apply lines with small gaps between subsequent characters. This study focused on applying larger gaps between subsequent characters to increase braille reading mastery.<br />
<br />
* ''Learn Braille through good vibrations''<ref name=VibrationBraille> Hodson, H. (2014). Learn Braille through good vibrations. New Scientist, 222(2974), 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(14)61208-2</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' In the United States only 10% of the blind school-aged children learn braille due to the lack of teachers. Now gloves are introduced with vibrating motors at each knuckle and when one of these motors vibrate, the user presses the corresponding key. Audio feedback is given about what character was typed. By applying this method passively, one can learn braille via passive haptic learning.<br />
<br />
* ''The today and tomorrow of Braille learning''<ref name='TodayAndTomorrowBrailleLearning> Guerreiro, J., Gonçalves, D., Marques, D., Guerreiro, T.J., Nicolau, H., & Montague, K. (2013). The today and tomorrow of Braille learning. ASSETS '13. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513383.2513415</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille literacy has been declining mostly due to the use of electronic text and assistive software, such as screen readers. However Braille literacy is still the most empowering form of literacy for blind people. Therefore the research goal is to provide new tools to improve Braille literacy. First the problems with the nowadays used methods for learning Braille are stated. Next hardware and software tools for alternative Braille-based applications are shown/discussed.<br />
<br />
'''Design of a braille tactile cell:'''<br />
<br />
* ''Design of a Tactile Braille Cell''<ref name='DesignCell> Reddy, S. B., Rohan, R., Alvina, G., & Giriraja, C. V. (2018). Design of a Tactile Braille Cell. 2018 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics, ICACCI 2018, 1744–1747. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCI.2018.8554797</ref><br />
<br />
** '''Summary:''' Braille is vital for the learning process of visually impaired or blind people, since it empowers education. Therefore it is important to design a low-cost braille cell that is also efficient and has minimum latency. A braille cell has been designed that helps blind or visually impaired people by having two outputs, namely audio and the tactile. A process that involves hearing and feeling improves the overall learning rate of the braille language.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art&diff=86840PRE2019 3 Group4 State Of The Art2020-03-20T12:40:37Z<p>20173932: /* State Of The Art */</p>
<hr />
<div>=State Of The Art=<br />
On this separate wiki page the State Of The Art (SOTA) regarding braille teaching devices and methods to learn braille are described.<br />
<br />
'''Braille reading and writing teaching devices:'''<br />
*''Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille''<ref name=ArabicBraille> Rahimi, N. A. Z. N. M., Hany Mohamad Hanif, N. H., & Janin, Z. (2019). Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille. 2018 IEEE 5th International Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application, ICSIMA 2018, November, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSIMA.2018.8688763 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' The literacy rate of visually impaired people is decreasing, which poses problems with reading. This causes a gap of information to emerge amongst this certain target audience. Due to the lack of properly skilled braille teachers, this problem is hard to handle. When a braille teaching device is introduced on the market, it is mostly focused on the roman alphabet, not including other languages. Now an Arabic braille learning device is introduced that works with an Arduino Uno and miniature solenoids. Tests have only yet been performed with LEDs lighting up to represent the braille dots.<br />
<br />
*''Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy''<ref name=ToysBraille> Jain, T., Christy, B., Das, A. V., Bhaumik, D., & Satgunam, P. (2018). Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy. Optometry and Vision Science, 95(9), 902–907. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001268 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Braille teaching toys for blind or visually impaired kids are very limited. Therefore a 3D-printed braille puzzle for educational use has been developed. Fittle is based on fitting pieces of a braille puzzle on a certain place, and when it is correct, one is able to spell the braille word and feel the dots that the word denotes. The best results occurred after performing multiple runs with the Fittle.<br />
<br />
*''An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh''<ref name=MathBraille> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2020). An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh. Assistive Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2020.1734112 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Since there is a lack of assistive tools to learn mathematics, blind students in Bangladesh are still using outdated learning tools. A study has been performed to create an effective and affordable assistive tool based on the needs of the blind students learning mathematics. Interactive methods, such as hearing and touching, were an important criterion in the design. By performing empirical tests and evaluations with teachers, experts, and end users, the use of this novel design proved to be promising in practice.<br />
<br />
*''“Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh''<ref name=BBLA> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2019). “Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh. Interactive Learning Environments, 0(0), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1619588 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Educational software for visually impaired students is widely available. However in the Bangla language there is a lack of proper braille teaching software that is affordable. The Bangla Braille Learning Application (BBLA) is a novel approach for low-cost braille teaching to visually impaired students. With vibrations and audio feedback, users get proper responses to their inputs.<br />
<br />
*''Learning to read braille through play''<ref name=PlayBraille> Lopez, R. M., Pinder, S. D., & Davies, T. C. (2019). Matuto, Magbasa, Maglaro: Learning to read braille through play. Assistive Technology, 0(0), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2019.1619633 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' This research is about an engaging co-design process to create a device to help visually impaired children to identify letters and short words in braille as a first step towards reading braille. Current barriers regarding braille teaching devices are accessibility, portability, durability, usability, and functions. A design has been tested in practice, with the feedback to add various learning modes, and the reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the design.<br />
<br />
*''E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device''<ref name='LearningBraille1> Wagh, P.M., Prajapati, U.B., Shinde, M., Salunke, P.M., Chaskar, V.A., Telavane, S., & Yadav, V. (2016). E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device. 2016 Twenty Second National Conference on Communication (NCC), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/NCC.2016.7561162</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Since the literacy rate among visually impaired people in many countries is very low, a braille learning device was developed that uses a braille keypad and microphone as input and produces speech and pins of a single braille cell as output.<br />
<br />
*''Spoken dialogue system for learning Braille''<ref name='LearningBraille2> Araki, M., Shibahara, K., & Mizukami, Y. (2011). Spoken Dialogue System for Learning Braille. 2011 IEEE 35th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference, 152-156. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMPSAC.2011.27</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' In the process of learning braille, it is important to have another person helping with identifying correspondence between a braille pattern and a character. A new system is introduced which bans the need for external help and boosts the individual capacities of blind or visually impaired people with a spoken dialogue system. The system consists of a braille display, speech recognizer, speech synthesizer, and a dialogue manager. Furthermore the speech was created on a system with a multimodal interaction architecture.<br />
<br />
*''Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children''<ref name='SelfLearn> Srihari, C., Prashanthi, S., Sriranjani, V., & Sobithaahila, S. (2018). Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children. IEEE International Conference on Power, Control, Signals and Instrumentation Engineering, ICPCSI 2017, 900–904. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPCSI.2017.8391842</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' A target group of children between the ages 3 to 6 has been considered for testing a novel design to teach the basic concepts of braille in the Tamil language. A haptic interface has been created which incorporates active learning by speech recognition. Also different levels of complexity are incorporated in the design to cover a broader braille spectrum.<br />
<br />
*''Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System''<ref name='BrailleGrade1> Vaca, D., Jacome, C., Saeteros, M., & Caiza, G. (2018). Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System. 2018 IEEE 2nd Colombian Conference on Robotics and Automation, CCRA 2018, 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCRA.2018.8588144</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' This paper introduces a low-cost prototype for reading, writing, and audio-assisted evaluation in the process of learning braille. Writing was done with 10 buttons placed in matrix form. Reading was performed with 10 push-pull solenoids. Also memorization and final evaluation of the braille language was tested. The complete design was running on a Raspberry Pi 3B due to its high-speed performance and relatively low cost.<br />
<br />
*''A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals''<ref name='CostEff> Adnan, M. E., Dastagir, N. M., Jabin, J., Chowdhury, A. M., & Islam, M. R. (2018). A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals. 5th IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference 2017, R10-HTC 2017, 2018-Janua, 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1109/R10-HTC.2017.8288932</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Learning for blind or visually impaired people is much harder, since they cannot receive visual information in the process. Now a novel affordable braille teaching prototype is considered. The prototype is based on solenoids to represent the braille dots, controlled by an Arduino Uno. Eventually it could be used to learn the basics of the braille language and to learn all the letters one by one.<br />
<br />
'''Braille mathematics teaching devices:'''<br />
*''Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations''<ref name='BrailleMathOp> Tahir, M. S. M., Hanif, N. H. H. M., & Yusuf, H. M. (2019). Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations. 2019 7th International Conference on Mechatronics Engineering, ICOM 2019, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOM47790.2019.8952054</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Mathematics is a key to properly functioning in our current society. For visually impaired or blind people learning mathematics is expensive and does not yet comprise all the challenges to solve proper mathematical operations. Now a design with 12 miniature solenoids controlled by an Arduino Uno is introduced. The input of the solenoids had to match the output to get a correct result in an exercise. Tests have been performed for additions, subtractions, and multiplications. It was found that this way of teaching braille mathematics could eventually be used to solve simple calculations.<br />
<br />
'''Braille teaching techniques:'''<br />
<br />
*''Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers''<ref name=IdentityBraille> Toussaint, K. A., Scheithauer, M. C., Tiger, J. H., & Saunders, K. J. (2017). Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.382 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Three visually impaired children were taught to make tactile discriminations of the braille alphabet within a matching-to-sample format. A braille character as sample stimulus was presented to the children, and they had to select the matching stimulus from a three-comparison array. To increase the ease of use, braille characters were divided in sets where there was a maximum difference between the braille dots of a stimulus. Over time the difficulty was increased, which also increased the braille level of the children.<br />
<br />
*''Teaching braille to children''<ref name=KidsBraille> Keil, S. (2004). Teaching braille to children. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 22(1), 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461960402200103 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' This article is about everything that comes into play when teaching braille to children. There is not one proper way to teach braille to children, since there are a variety of braillists that need to be taught in a variety of contexts. Regarding the future, it is important to do further research in teaching braille and the literacy of the pupils.<br />
<br />
*''Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading''<ref name=StimulusBraille> Scheithauer, M. C., & Tiger, J. H. (2014). Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(3), 612–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.129 </ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' The first steps towards learning braille are line tracking, which is moving ones finger horizontally across a line until the line ends. Current methods for line tracking are incomplete, since these apply lines with small gaps between subsequent characters. This study focused on applying larger gaps between subsequent characters to increase braille reading mastery.<br />
<br />
*''Learn Braille through good vibrations''<ref name=VibrationBraille> Hodson, H. (2014). Learn Braille through good vibrations. New Scientist, 222(2974), 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(14)61208-2</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' In the United States only 10% of the blind school-aged children learn braille due to the lack of teachers. Now gloves are introduced with vibrating motors at each knuckle and when one of these motors vibrate, the user presses the corresponding key. Audio feedback is given about what character was typed. By applying this method passively, one can learn braille via passive haptic learning.<br />
<br />
*''The today and tomorrow of Braille learning''<ref name='TodayAndTomorrowBrailleLearning> Guerreiro, J., Gonçalves, D., Marques, D., Guerreiro, T.J., Nicolau, H., & Montague, K. (2013). The today and tomorrow of Braille learning. ASSETS '13. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513383.2513415</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Braille literacy has been declining mostly due to the use of electronic text and assistive software, such as screen readers. However Braille literacy is still the most empowering form of literacy for blind people. Therefore the research goal is to provide new tools to improve Braille literacy. First the problems with the nowadays used methods for learning Braille are stated. Next hardware and software tools for alternative Braille-based applications are shown/discussed.<br />
<br />
'''Design of a braille tactile cell:'''<br />
<br />
*''Design of a Tactile Braille Cell''<ref name='DesignCell> Reddy, S. B., Rohan, R., Alvina, G., & Giriraja, C. V. (2018). Design of a Tactile Braille Cell. 2018 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics, ICACCI 2018, 1744–1747. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCI.2018.8554797</ref><br />
<br />
**'''Summary:''' Braille is vital for the learning process of visually impaired or blind people, since it empowers education. Therefore it is important to design a low-cost braille cell that is also efficient and has minimum latency. A braille cell has been designed that helps blind or visually impaired people by having two outputs, namely audio and the tactile. A process that involves hearing and feeling improves the overall learning rate of the braille language.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art&diff=86834PRE2019 3 Group4 State Of The Art2020-03-20T12:30:05Z<p>20173932: /* State Of The Art */</p>
<hr />
<div>=State Of The Art=<br />
On this separate wiki page the State Of The Art (SOTA) regarding braille teaching devices and methods to learn braille are described.<br />
<br />
Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille<ref name=ArabicBraille> Rahimi, N. A. Z. N. M., Hany Mohamad Hanif, N. H., & Janin, Z. (2019). Mobile Applications for Teaching and Learning Arabic Braille. 2018 IEEE 5th International Conference on Smart Instrumentation, Measurement and Application, ICSIMA 2018, November, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSIMA.2018.8688763 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' The literacy rate of visually impaired people is decreasing, which poses problems with reading. This causes a gap of information to emerge amongst this certain target audience. Due to the lack of properly skilled braille teachers, this problem is hard to handle. When a braille teaching device is introduced on the market, it is mostly focused on the roman alphabet, not including other languages. Now an Arabic braille learning device is introduced that works with an Arduino Uno and miniature solenoids. Tests have only yet been performed with LEDs lighting up to represent the braille dots.<br />
<br />
Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy<ref name=ToysBraille> Jain, T., Christy, B., Das, A. V., Bhaumik, D., & Satgunam, P. (2018). Fittle: A Novel Braille Toy. Optometry and Vision Science, 95(9), 902–907. https://doi.org/10.1097/OPX.0000000000001268 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Braille teaching toys for blind or visually impaired kids are very limited. Therefore a 3D-printed braille puzzle for educational use has been developed. Fittle is based on fitting pieces of a braille puzzle on a certain place, and when it is correct, one is able to spell the braille word and feel the dots that the word denotes. The best results occurred after performing multiple runs with the Fittle.<br />
<br />
Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers<ref name=IdentityBraille> Toussaint, K. A., Scheithauer, M. C., Tiger, J. H., & Saunders, K. J. (2017). Teaching identity matching of braille characters to beginning braille readers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.382 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Three visually impaired children were taught to make tactile discriminations of the braille alphabet within a matching-to-sample format. A braille character as sample stimulus was presented to the children, and they had to select the matching stimulus from a three-comparison array. To increase the ease of use, braille characters were divided in sets where there was a maximum difference between the braille dots of a stimulus. Over time the difficulty was increased, which also increased the braille level of the children.<br />
<br />
Teaching braille to children<ref name=KidsBraille> Keil, S. (2004). Teaching braille to children. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 22(1), 13–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461960402200103 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' This article is about everything that comes into play when teaching braille to children. There is not one proper way to teach braille to children, since there are a variety of braillists that need to be taught in a variety of contexts. Regarding the future, it is important to do further research in teaching braille and the literacy of the pupils.<br />
<br />
An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh<ref name=MathBraille> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2020). An Interactive Math Braille Learning Application to Assist Blind Students in Bangladesh. Assistive Technology. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2020.1734112 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Since there is a lack of assistive tools to learn mathematics, blind students in Bangladesh are still using outdated learning tools. A study has been performed to create an effective and affordable assistive tool based on the needs of the blind students learning mathematics. Interactive methods, such as hearing and touching, were an important criterion in the design. By performing empirical tests and evaluations with teachers, experts, and end users, the use of this novel design proved to be promising in practice.<br />
<br />
“Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh<ref name=BBLA> Nahar, L., Sulaiman, R., & Jaafar, A. (2019). “Bangla Braille learning application” in smartphones for visually impaired students in Bangladesh. Interactive Learning Environments, 0(0), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10494820.2019.1619588 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Educational software for visually impaired students is widely available. However in the Bangla language there is a lack of proper braille teaching software that is affordable. The Bangla Braille Learning Application (BBLA) is a novel approach for low-cost braille teaching to visually impaired students. With vibrations and audio feedback, users get proper responses to their inputs.<br />
<br />
Learning to read braille through play<ref name=PlayBraille> Lopez, R. M., Pinder, S. D., & Davies, T. C. (2019). Matuto, Magbasa, Maglaro: Learning to read braille through play. Assistive Technology, 0(0), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2019.1619633 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' This research is about an engaging co-design process to create a device to help visually impaired children to identify letters and short words in braille as a first step towards reading braille. Current barriers regarding braille teaching devices are accessibility, portability, durability, usability, and functions. A design has been tested in practice, with the feedback to add various learning modes, and the reduction of the size, weight, and cost of the design.<br />
<br />
Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading<ref name=StimulusBraille> Scheithauer, M. C., & Tiger, J. H. (2014). Teaching braille line tracking using stimulus fading. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47(3), 612–616. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.129 </ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' The first steps towards learning braille are line tracking, which is moving ones finger horizontally across a line until the line ends. Current methods for line tracking are incomplete, since these apply lines with small gaps between subsequent characters. This study focused on applying larger gaps between subsequent characters to increase braille reading mastery.<br />
<br />
Learn Braille through good vibrations<ref name=VibrationBraille> Hodson, H. (2014). Learn Braille through good vibrations. New Scientist, 222(2974), 22. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0262-4079(14)61208-2</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' In the United States only 10% of the blind school-aged children learn braille due to the lack of teachers. Now gloves are introduced with vibrating motors at each knuckle and when one of these motors vibrate, the user presses the corresponding key. Audio feedback is given about what character was typed. By applying this method passively, one can learn braille via passive haptic learning.<br />
<br />
E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device<ref name='LearningBraille1> Wagh, P.M., Prajapati, U.B., Shinde, M., Salunke, P.M., Chaskar, V.A., Telavane, S., & Yadav, V. (2016). E-Braille-a self-learning Braille device. 2016 Twenty Second National Conference on Communication (NCC), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1109/NCC.2016.7561162</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Since the literacy rate among visually impaired people in many countries is very low, a braille learning device was developed that uses a braille keypad and microphone as input and produces speech and pins of a single braille cell as output.<br />
<br />
The today and tomorrow of Braille learning<ref name='TodayAndTomorrowBrailleLearning> Guerreiro, J., Gonçalves, D., Marques, D., Guerreiro, T.J., Nicolau, H., & Montague, K. (2013). The today and tomorrow of Braille learning. ASSETS '13. https://doi.org/10.1145/2513383.2513415</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Braille literacy has been declining mostly due to the use of electronic text and assistive software, such as screen readers. However Braille literacy is still the most empowering form of literacy for blind people. Therefore the research goal is to provide new tools to improve Braille literacy. First the problems with the nowadays used methods for learning Braille are stated. Next hardware and software tools for alternative Braille-based applications are shown/discussed.<br />
<br />
Spoken dialogue system for learning Braille<ref name='LearningBraille2> Araki, M., Shibahara, K., & Mizukami, Y. (2011). Spoken Dialogue System for Learning Braille. 2011 IEEE 35th Annual Computer Software and Applications Conference, 152-156. https://doi.org/10.1109/COMPSAC.2011.27</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' In the process of learning braille, it is important to have another person helping with identifying correspondence between a braille pattern and a character. A new system is introduced which bans the need for external help and boosts the individual capacities of blind or visually impaired people with a spoken dialogue system. The system consists of a braille display, speech recognizer, speech synthesizer, and a dialogue manager. Furthermore the speech was created on a system with a multimodal interaction architecture.<br />
<br />
Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children<ref name='SelfLearn> Srihari, C., Prashanthi, S., Sriranjani, V., & Sobithaahila, S. (2018). Self-learning of braille using haptic interface for children. IEEE International Conference on Power, Control, Signals and Instrumentation Engineering, ICPCSI 2017, 900–904. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICPCSI.2017.8391842</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' A target group of children between the ages 3 to 6 has been considered for testing a novel design to teach the basic concepts of braille in the Tamil language. A haptic interface has been created which incorporates active learning by speech recognition. Also different levels of complexity are incorporated in the design to cover a broader braille spectrum.<br />
<br />
Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations<ref name='BrailleMathOp> Tahir, M. S. M., Hanif, N. H. H. M., & Yusuf, H. M. (2019). Numerical Braille Module for Learning Simple Mathematical Operations. 2019 7th International Conference on Mechatronics Engineering, ICOM 2019, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICOM47790.2019.8952054</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Mathematics is a key to properly functioning in our current society. For visually impaired or blind people learning mathematics is expensive and does not yet comprise all the challenges to solve proper mathematical operations. Now a design with 12 miniature solenoids controlled by an Arduino Uno is introduced. The input of the solenoids had to match the output to get a correct result in an exercise. Tests have been performed for additions, subtractions, and multiplications. It was found that this way of teaching braille mathematics could eventually be used to solve simple calculations.<br />
<br />
Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System<ref name='BrailleGrade1> Vaca, D., Jacome, C., Saeteros, M., & Caiza, G. (2018). Braille Grade 1 Learning and Monitoring System. 2018 IEEE 2nd Colombian Conference on Robotics and Automation, CCRA 2018, 6–10. https://doi.org/10.1109/CCRA.2018.8588144</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' This paper introduces a low-cost prototype for reading, writing, and audio-assisted evaluation in the process of learning braille. Writing was done with 10 buttons placed in matrix form. Reading was performed with 10 push-pull solenoids. Also memorization and final evaluation of the braille language was tested. The complete design was running on a Raspberry Pi 3B due to its high-speed performance and relatively low cost.<br />
<br />
A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals<ref name='CostEff> Adnan, M. E., Dastagir, N. M., Jabin, J., Chowdhury, A. M., & Islam, M. R. (2018). A cost effective electronic braille for visually impaired individuals. 5th IEEE Region 10 Humanitarian Technology Conference 2017, R10-HTC 2017, 2018-Janua, 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1109/R10-HTC.2017.8288932</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Learning for blind or visually impaired people is much harder, since they cannot receive visual information in the process. Now a novel affordable braille teaching prototype is considered. The prototype is based on solenoids to represent the braille dots, controlled by an Arduino Uno. Eventually it could be used to learn the basics of the braille language and to learn all the letters one by one.<br />
<br />
Design of a Tactile Braille Cell<ref name='DesignCell> Reddy, S. B., Rohan, R., Alvina, G., & Giriraja, C. V. (2018). Design of a Tactile Braille Cell. 2018 International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communications and Informatics, ICACCI 2018, 1744–1747. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACCI.2018.8554797</ref><br />
<br />
'''Summary:''' Braille is vital for the learning process of visually impaired or blind people, since it empowers education. Therefore it is important to design a low-cost braille cell that is also efficient and has minimum latency. A braille cell has been designed that helps blind or visually impaired people by having two outputs, namely audio and the tactile. A process that involves hearing and feeling improves the overall learning rate of the braille language.<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86824PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T09:31:31Z<p>20173932: /* Week 5 */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. These visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0.3 hours || Reordered and refined wiki page state of the art (0.3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932https://cstwiki.wtb.tue.nl/index.php?title=PRE2019_3_Group4&diff=86823PRE2019 3 Group42020-03-20T09:30:04Z<p>20173932: /* State of the art - abstracts (temporary title) */</p>
<hr />
<div>=Group 4=<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Group member<br />
! Student number<br />
! E-mail<br />
! Study<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || t.j.a.janssen@student.tue.nl || Chemical Engineering and Chemistry<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || i.p.c.kersten@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|-style="text-align: center"<br />
| Sander van Bommel ||1017917||s.p.h.a.v.bommel@student.tue.nl || Psychology & Technology<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || t.driessen@student.tue.nl || Software Science<br />
|- style="text-align: center"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || r.t.w.a.vissers@student.tue.nl || Electrical Engineering<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Introduction=<br />
In Europe only, there are already an estimated 30 million people that are either blind or visually impaired. Furthermore it is found that on average 1 in 30 Europeans experience sight loss. This imposes a huge challenge on the society in general, since these people cannot function as properly as intended in the complex society of today. Of all the blind or visually impaired people, 75% is rendered unemployed, while these people could possibly participate in certain jobs if they would receive the necessary education. Now a huge issue arises, since there is a lack of proper braille-teaching material available, which is holding the blind and visually impaired people back.<br />
<br />
Also loss of sight can be linked to people getting older, whereas the retinitis pigmentosa deteriorates with increasing age. By looking at the European statistics, one in three seniors with an age over 65 years old struggles with visual impairment or even blindness. Due to these large numbers, it can be seen that the problem of visual impairment and blindness has to be tackled, such that these people can stay active in the society <ref name=IntroFacts> EBU organisation (2010). About Blindness and Partial Sight. Viewed 08 February 2020. Retrieved from http://www.euroblind.org/about-blindness-and-partial-sight/facts-and-figures </ref>. Since these elderly people are not able to read anymore, they might want to adapt to learning braille to increase their independence.<br />
<br />
=Problem statement=<br />
<br />
According to the World Health organization <ref name=WHO2019> World Health Organization. (2019). Blindness. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment</ref>, the estimated number of people that are suffering from visual impairment in the world is 285 million. These people experience difficulties with daily activities that require vision. Vision is considered as an extremely vital sensory modality in humans. The loss of vision affects the performance of almost all activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); thereby hampering an individuals’ quality of life (QoL), general lifestyle, personal relationships and career <ref name=diff> Bhowmick, Alexy & Hazarika, Shyamanta. (2017). An insight into assistive technology for the visually impaired and blind people: state-of-the-art and future trends. Journal on Multimodal User Interfaces. 11. 1-24. 10.1007/s12193-016-0235-6 </ref>. Due to these limitations, these people have a greater probability of experiencing social exclusion, depression and loneliness <ref name=disadvantages> Evans, R. L., Werkhoven, W., & Fox, H. R. (1982). Treatment of Social Isolation and Loneliness in a Sample of Visually Impaired Elderly Persons. Psychological Reports, 51(1), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.1982.51.1.103</ref>.<br />
<br />
However due to increased knowledge and assistive technologies, there are many new applications and learning systems created to support visually impairment people with their daily activities and make life much easier. Braille learning is considered as one of the most well-known methods that is used to support the visually impaired with reading. In this method, visual impaired people are basically reading text with their fingers by identifying several patterns of raised bumps or dots. Even though it offers these people the opportunity to actually read a book, not many of these people use Braille. According to the National Federation of the Blind <ref name=NFB> National Federation of the Blind. (2009). The Braille Literacy Crisis in America. Retrieved from: https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/braille_literacy_report_web.pdf </ref>, only one in 10 blind people can read Braille, which is dramatically drown from the early 1900s. Furthermore a great proportion of blind children experience considerable difficulties learning to read braille and some never master the skill <ref name=child> Coppins, Natasha & Barlow-Brown, Fiona. (2006). Reading difficulties in blind, braille-reading children. British Journal of Visual Impairment. 24. 10.1177/0264619606060035.</ref>. Therefore they are more likely to lose interest in learning Braille and search for alternatives. <br />
<br />
Even though the interest in Learning Braille had decreased over time, this does not mean that it is outdated or irrelevant. In fact, Braille represents information and education - the currency and the future – for blind people <ref name=importance> McCall, S. (1995). Foundations of Braille Literacy. Evelyn J. Rex, Alan J. Koenig, Diane P. Wormsley & Robert L. Baker. American Foundation For The Blind, New York, ISBN 0-89128-934-8, 153pp. US $34.95 (Paperback). British Journal of Visual Impairment. https://doi.org/10.1177/026461969501300311 </ref>. By learning Braille, blind people will be capable to get access to relevant information, develop high-level skills in reading and writing. Therefore it should be understood, however the current methods of how Braille is taught, might be outdated. Assistive technology should open new ways for Braille to make it more interesting among visually impaired people and improving their well-being.<br />
<br />
=Objectives=<br />
<br />
The central objective of the project is:<br />
<br />
'''Main objective:''' Realize a device that helps an inexperienced person to learn the basics of reading braille. The device will make the Braille literacy more accessible to visually impaired people and can be seen as the first introduction to the Braille language.<br />
<br />
From this main objective, a number of smaller objectives can be deduced, namely:<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' A visually-impaired-user-friendly interface<br />
<br />
As the target group is visually impaired, an interface will be developed that provides clear communication in both ways between user and device without requiring the ability to see.<br />
<br />
'''Objective:''' Facilitate learning<br />
<br />
A number of learning modes will be created that provides the user with a fun/interactive way of learning Braille. These learning modes will use inputs from the user in the form of pushing braille pins and/or outputs from the system by means of sound or moving braille pins.<br />
<br />
=Users=<br />
When designing a product, it is important to keep the users (actively or passively) involved in the design process as soon as possible. Therefore it is important to take into account the values and needs of all involved users. With proper participation and empirical research, the design process can be centered around the user for the best final result. The users involved within the subject of learning braille can be categorized in primary and secondary users as described below.<br />
<br />
===Primary Users===<br />
The primary users are the people that will actively use the product, namely being the visually impaired and blind people that do not yet know the braille language. This is caused due to the lack of braille learning material that is generally available for consumers and organizations. By designing a system that teaches braille with one letter or one word at a time, with the help of a braille example or pronounced words, braille can be learnt by a much broader public. These visually impaired and blind people cannot get the necessary education they need from reading literature or browsing the internet, they will get a learning disadvantage. Therefore with a system that teaches the braille language, the independence of the users will grow. The independence of the user is an important aspect, since blind and visually impaired people strive for a certain amount of independence, which is lost due to their disability<ref name=Needs2009> SSMR at the University of Surrey (2009). Understanding the needs of blind and partially sighted people: their experiences, perspectives, and expectations. England, Wales: SSMR, on behalf of RNIB. Retrieved from https://www.rnib.org.uk/knowledge-and-research-hub/research-reports/general-research/understanding-needs </ref>. With multiple levels of difficulty, this braille-teaching device can be used by a widespread public, i.e. by children that are learning letters, or by adolescents that want to learn braille letters and words (including pronunciation).<br />
<br />
===Secondary Users===<br />
Regarding the secondary users, there are multiple organizations that would want to use a device to teach braille to people. <br />
<br />
*At first, educational institutes, such as kindergartens, schools, and universities, would want to use the braille-teaching device to make learning braille for blind and visually impaired people more attractive at their institution. By showing that their needs are taken into account, the blind or visually impaired people will be triggered more to go to a certain institution that respects their disabilities. This will generally lead to an increased number of students at certain institutions. It will also help to reduce the workload that is imposed on the braille teachers at a certain institution.<br />
<br />
*Secondly, non-profit organizations that want to help children with certain disabilities might adapt to this design. By investing in a braille-teaching device for children that cannot afford it, the literacy for these children will greatly increase. Since the main goal of these non-profit organizations is to help disabled children, this device would be a proper addition to their functional capabilities.<br />
<br />
=Requirements=<br />
Overall system must:<br />
* be able to be set up in less than a minute.<br />
* be able to be activated by a blind person.<br />
* be built with high contrast between colors of the box the system is in and the buttons.<br />
* have functional buttons with clearly recognizable shapes to ease operation.<br />
* be affordable to as many people as possible (preferably < €200).<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille display must:<br />
* be capable of correctly displaying all basic braille symbols: letters, numbers, and punctuation, one at a time.<br />
* be able to be reset and rewritten in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* provide enough force to each braille dot such that they can be read easily.<br />
<br />
<br />
Physical braille input must:<br />
* have braille dots that are easily pressed down with light force, and then kept in downward position.<br />
* be able to be reset in less than 0.5 seconds.<br />
* reliably capture presses (>99%).<br />
<br />
=Approach, Milestones & Deliverables=<br />
<br />
===Approach===<br />
The different aspects of the approach can be subdivided into milestones. Consequently, these can be distributed over a planning that fits the time span of this project.<br />
<br />
In order to obtain the optimal and most adequate results on the topic, several different methods can be used to obtain information:<br />
*Literature research into the different aspects related to this topic:<br />
- Current state-of-the-art devices for this purpose<br />
- Scanning technology for written/typed text<br />
- Conversion technology of scanned text to braille<br />
- Dynamic braille surfaces<br />
- Design considerations for optimal user experience and versatility for different formats of clustered text<br />
*Collaboration with visually impaired people to incorporate the advice of the primary users.<br />
*Development of a small prototype and applying a series of tests to check whether the device meets the previously set requirements.<br />
*Comparative tests with current state-of-the-art devices to discover points of improvement, as well as points of superiority of our product.<br />
<br />
===Planning & Milestones===<br />
Below the global planning of this project is displayed.<br />
<br />
{| class="wikitable", border="1" style="border-collapse:collapse"<br />
|-<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Week<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#ffc400;" | Tasks & milestones for the report<br />
! style="text-align: center; font-weight:bold; background-color:#d6a500;" | Tasks & milestones for the prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 1<br />
|<br />
*Choose the subject<br />
*Write the start of the sections for the problem statement, objectives, users, requirements, approach, planning & milestones, deliverables, logbook<br />
*Investigate and summarize current state-of-the-art techniques and devices on this topic<br />
|<br />
|-<br />
| 2<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Write the start of the sections for current state-of-the-art and our own research<br />
|<br />
*Approximated design<br />
*List of needed hardware components<br />
|-<br />
| 3<br />
|<br />
*Continue writing on the different sections of the report<br />
*Gantt chart<br />
*Manual<br />
*Contact Visio or other instances<br />
*Decide on focus project<br />
|<br />
*Design SolidWorks<br />
*Purchase hardware components<br />
*Software concepts<br />
|-<br />
| 4<br />
|<br />
*Test plan<br />
*Working out Hable interview<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 5<br />
|<br />
*Further work report<br />
|<br />
*Developing software<br />
*Creating prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 6<br />
|<br />
*Create questions/exercises for testing of week 7<br />
|<br />
*Finishing software<br />
*Finishing prototype<br />
|-<br />
| 7<br />
|<br />
*Create presentation<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Test prototype with visually impaired people<br />
|-<br />
| 8<br />
|<br />
*Presentation<br />
*Finish report<br />
*Work out test results<br />
|<br />
*Incorporate feedback tests week 7<br />
*Bug fixing<br />
|-<br />
|}<br />
<br />
===Deliverables===<br />
* A small prototype of a device that helps an inexperienced user with learning braille.<br />
* A report of all our literature research, analysis and results on this topic. This will be documented on this wiki page.<br />
* A presentation at the end of this course to share our findings.<br />
<br />
===Gantt Chart===<br />
[[File:Ganttchart2019-g4.png|center|Gantt chart for our project]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art=<br />
<br />
== Existing Devices ==<br />
<br />
Looking at the State-of-the-Art regarding devices made for learning devices we have come across a number of products. Looking at these products we can see how they work, what are the advantages and disadvantages and therefore be able to find a place to fit our concept.<br />
<br />
=== LEGO Braille Bricks ===<br />
<br />
Recently LEGO unveiled a new project aiming to help blind and visually impaired children to learn Braille. The Braille bricks are similar to the common 2x4 blocks, except they don’t have eight “studs”, but use a 2x3 array of studs to represent a braille cell. At the bottom of the brick there is room for a visual indicator of the letter or symbol for the supervisors. The LEGO Braille bricks should fully launch in 2020.<br />
<br />
[[File:legobrailleblocks.jpg|350px|right|thumb|LEGO Braille Bricks]]<br />
<br />
The combination of LEGO and Braille looks like a perfect match. Each original LEGO block already contains “studs”, and more importantly LEGOs is meant to be a toy for children. Children associate pleasant thoughts with the bricks. Introducing the Braille language here is a perfect way to make learning fun. Because of the freedom of placement people have with LEGOs, sentences and words can be easily constructed using the braille blocks. An obvious disadvantage is the need for a supervisor. As stated in ['''BRON HIER'''], a supervisor can only effectively help one person at a time. Therefore teaching Braille to a class of visually impaired people is still quite difficult.<br />
<br />
=== Annie ===<br />
<br />
Tinkerbell Labs have created a Braille literacy device to help the visually impaired to learn Braille on their own, through audio-guided gamified content. It consists of two large Braille cells which are used to introduce braille to an inexperienced Braille reader. It also includes six standard-sized braille cell to cover all primary learning needs. The input of the user is giving through a large Braille keyboard placed at the center of the device. <br />
<br />
[[File:annie.jpg|350px|right|thumb|Annie]]<br />
<br />
A big advantage of this device is that it enables one teacher to teach more than one student simultaneously. This can be seen as an obvious advantage, as opposed to the more traditional methods for learning Braille ['''BRON HIER''']. A large disadvantage though, is the price point. As of now, the device costs $949 with access to the companion app and analytics program for $149 per year. <br />
This makes the device mostly accessible to institutional organizations and less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Taptilo ===<br />
<br />
Taptilo is an innovative braille education machine without the need of a professional teacher. The top of the device contains nine removable, magnetic Braille cells which users can use to create their own letter (they can push in “studs”). These cells interact with the permanent row of nine refreshable cells placed at the bottom. These cells are ‘jumbo-sized’ meaning they are bigger than usual, making it easier for inexperienced users to learn.<br />
<br />
The device has implemented five teaching modes:<br />
# ''READ'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out.<br />
# ''TRACE & WRITE'': Select a word which will be displayed and read out. Trace this Braille word (on the permanent row) and try to match the blocks with the removable braille cells.<br />
# ''DICTATION'': Select a word which will be read out. Then try to spell the word using the removable braille blocks.<br />
# ''WRITE'': Make your own word using the blocks. Then Taptilo will read the word.<br />
# ''GAME'': The permanent row will display the letters of a scrambled word. Try to put the letters in the right order using the removable cells.<br />
They have utilized an artificial intelligence (AI) speaker to be able to output, not only predefined letters/words, but also words the system has never pronounced.<br />
<br />
[[File:taptilo.png|350px|right|thumb|Taptilo]]<br />
<br />
The advantages/disadvantages are very similar to that of Annie. A big advantage is again that the devices enables one teacher to teach a full class of students instead of only one student at a time. The disadvantage is the price point. Taptilo, which costs $1,349.00, is even more expensive than Annie making it again less accessible for individual use.<br />
<br />
=== Hable ===<br />
<br />
Visually impaired users often use speech-recognition to operate their phones. The problem with that is inaccuracy and a lack of privacy (imagine sitting in a train). This is where Hable steps in.<br />
They are developing a device which presents visually impaired users with a way to enter text onto their phone. Work is also being done on ways to make the device also able to navigate the phone and open apps. <br />
<br />
The device consists of six braille buttons which are combined with two functions buttons for commands such as spacebar, enter and backspace, but also to navigate through your phone. It can be attached to the back of your smartphone, or be used freely. Bluetooth is used to connect to the phone.<br />
<br />
While Hable is not exactly a braille learning device, it still is a company with a lot of experience and knowledge surrounding Braille. Hable having its roots in the TU/e, we managed to get into contact with them, of which the findings are shown in ['''Verwijzing hier'''].<br />
<br />
[[File:hable.jpg|350px|center|thumb|Hable]]<br />
<br />
=Research=<br />
<br />
==Fundamentals of braille==<br />
[[File:Braille-Cell.png|350px|right|thumb|Braille cell]]<br />
Braille is a tactile writing system for people that are blind or to some degree visually impaired. The system has many variations, but the most commonly used is the 6-dot braille. This type makes use of a 2 by 3 dot cell that can represent a letter, digit, punctuation mark and even certain contractions. These different elements are represented by combinations of raised dots within a cell. Since there are 6 dots that can potentially be raised, there are 64 (2^6) different combinations possible. The 6 dots are numbered in a downward fashion in the consecutive columns, where the top left dot has number 1 and the bottom right dot has number 6.<br />
<br />
The different literary elements are grouped in certain decades. A decade is a group of 10 different combinations that only make use of a specific subsection of the 6 dots. Literary elements that are alphabetically adjacent or just similar in use are placed in the same decade to improve the efficiency and ease of reading braille.<br />
<br />
*The first decade is made up of the upper four dots (numbers 1,2,4 and 5), and represents the letters 'a' to 'j' as well as digits 0 to 9. <br />
*The second decade makes use of dot 3 in addition to the upper four dots, and represents the letters 'k' to 't'. <br />
*The third decade makes use of both dots 3 and 6 in addition to the upper four dots. The first half of this decade makes up the remaining letters of the alphabet 'u' to 'z' with the exception of 'w'. The other half is used for the commonly used words 'and','for','of','the' and 'with'. <br />
*The fourth decade makes use of dot 6 in addition to the upper fout dots, and represents some common 2-letter combinations in print as well as the letter 'w'.<br />
*The fifth decade is the same as the first but then all dots are shifted one down. These represent the punctuation marks.<br />
*The sixth decade makes use of dots 3,4,5 and 6, and represent some of the remaining punctuation marks and common 2-letter combinations.<br />
*The seventh decade only makes use of the right column, and is used to obtain a certain effect such as two-celled contractions, italic letters, capital letters, etc.<br />
*Last, there is the completely empty cell (no dots raised), which represents a space.<br />
<br />
Below you can find a simplified overview of the literary elements per decade on the left. This overview does not contain all the different braille symbols and is thus incomplete. Therefore, a complete overview is displayed on the right. However, this overview is not organized per decade.<br />
[[File:simplified.jpg|2500px|left|thumb|Simplified overview braille symbols per decade]]<br />
[[File:complete.jpg|1000px|center|thumb|Complete overview braille]]<br />
<br />
==Main issues in learning braille==<br />
It is estimated that 285 million people are visually impaired and 39 million people are completely blind. Only a small percentage of approximately 10% of this group can read braille. This is a relatively small number and greatly limits the freedom and capabilities of blind individuals and the complete blind community. There are multiple factors that complicate or eliminate the possibility to learn braille. These factors can lie with the subject but also with the current means available for braille. Therefore, some factors can be controlled and some cannot. Below the different factors will be discussed.<br />
<br />
*To start, only 80% of all visually impaired people are potentially able to read braille, because they can experience the required haptic feelings. The remaining 20% can not and is therefore unable to learn braille even if they would experience no further issues. <br />
*People above 40 years of age that have not yet learned braille in a previous stage of their life will have an increasingly more difficult task to learn it. Until 40 years of age there is no drastic increase in how hard it is to learn braille. Moreover, if one has already learned braille when they were younger, then no major issues should occur if they try to continue in a later stage in life.<br />
*The phonological deficit theory states that reading retardation is caused by the deficit of representation, processing and storing speech sounds. It has been shown that this also holds for blind subject and can indeed cause issues in one's ability to read braille. Additionally, for people who just started learning braille the process can be slowed down drastically by a deficit in processing and storing speech sounds, since audio will be used to provide the definition and meaning to the tactile sensory input from the fingers.<br />
*The magnocellular theoery states that difficulty with reading (braille) can be caused by damaged sensory pathways that are responsible for rapidly varying streams of input.<br />
*In some poorer countries in the world, many institutions for blind people simply don't have the means and knowledge to properly help their students.<br />
*The current method to learn braille mainly exists out of 1-to-1 sessions between a tutor and a student. Learning in a group is inefficient, since it causes a lot of distractions for the students and makes it impossible for a tutor to give every student the required attention. Since it takes 150 hours on average to obtain a decent level of braille, these private lessons can get rather expensive.<br />
*The sensory tactile input that braille relies on is in many aspects inferior to the visual input from reading print text. The stimuli are processed much slower and especially while learning braille many people first have to convert the braille to normal letters in their head, which takes up even more time. Furthermore, distinguishing so many different characters is much harder by touch due to the lack of detail. This also makes it easier to become confused.<br />
*There are some inherent difficulties to braille itself. First of all, there are a lot of different combinations that one has to memorize just to learn individual letters, contractions and words. For children that were blind at birth, this is an extra challenge on top of learning letter combinations to form words. Some of these specific combinations can also easily be forgotten after one hasn't seen it for a long time. Second, there are many different characters that have the same braille code. The specific meaning of the 6-dot cell is then dependent on context, which takes a lot of practice to master. Additionally, there are sometimes multiple different codes to write the same thing, which can also cause confusion. Last, every language or sometimes even every country (even when two countries speak the same language) differs slightly in what code represents a letter, contraction or word. This gives an extra dimension of difficulty for learning different languages in braille, since one must first learn the new code before even starting to learn the new words and letter combinations.<br />
*Many visually impaired people simply do not want to start with learning braille, because this would mean to them that they are officially blind. So, the stigma on being blind often delays when people start to learn braille if they start at all. This also greatly impacts the number of blind people that can actually read braille.<br />
*Since learning braille is a slow process, many people get discouraged along the way. Making sure that people stay positive during the learning process is actually one of the most important tasks of the 1-to-1 tutors nowadays. If more entertaining methods for learning braille or more positive feedbacks systems could be implemented this issue could be helped significantly.<br />
*Current methods to learn braille often do not match the most efficient ways to learn braille.<br />
<br />
==Strategies for learning braille & Gamification==<br />
As mentioned in the previous section, one of the major issues in learning braille is to stay motivated in the slow process. Not that much is known on the best way to learn the tactile writing system efficiently and most of the current method rely on simple repitition. Granted that this is what learning most languages comes down to, it is not always stimulating student engagement. One method that could help in this aspect is Gamification, where different game elements are incorporated in the learning exercises to make them more exciting and engaging. Below, different elements are explained that incorporate gamification into the prototype of this project.<br />
*Setting a time clock on different difficulty levels for users to type a certain number of letters or words. This gives a score for both the taken time and number of correct letters/words.<br />
*The scores set in different learning modes can be used to unlock different accomplishments, keep track of performance over time and compare oneself to others using the device.<br />
*The device can also be made to pair up with other devices, which makes it possible to compete against friends.<br />
<br />
Another method to reduce the percentage of illiterate blind people, it is important to get rid of the stigma around blindness and braille. This can be done by making braille cooler and more of an accomplishment. Hopefully, the prototype in this project combined with the elements of gamification can help with this.<br />
<br />
=Expected Impact=<br />
<br />
Currently about 10% of the blind people worldwide is actually able to read Braille. This means that 90% of these people is not capable or is not willing to learn Braille. However, our product is meant to increase this interest and provide a new type of Braille learning that is understandable, educational and interesting. If blind people would experience the benefits in terms of improvements in their daily life experience, then there is evidence found that our product actually has a positive effect on the experience of blind people and it can be implemented in a real-life setting. Therefore there is expected that a great number of this 90% blind people will regain interest in Braille and thereby also generate more interest in our product. <br />
<br />
Our product also allows independent use, which means that a constant accompaniment is not necessary any longer. Blind people are capable to activate our product by themselves and can use it to learn Braille. In this way, caregivers of these blind people can spend their time to other individuals that actually need guidance with reading. This is not only less costly, but caregivers will also be able to work more efficiently. For this reason, cost-efficiency will be maintained. Furthermore it expected that engineers or developers of our product will experience a financial gain due to the increased demand on the market. If governments would acknowledge the benefits of the product as well, they can provide support to these developers/engineers in terms of scientific funds. Scientific funds will contribute to further development in research and knowledge of our product, which can lead to even new applications or breakthroughs.<br />
<br />
=Bill of Materials=<br />
The bill of materials includes all the required items for the initial prototype that will be created.<br />
<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Item Name/Number !! Supplier !! Cost !! Amount !! Total Cost Item !! Link<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Solenoid Push-Pull 6V 300mA - JF-0530B || TinyTronics || €3,50 || 12 || €42,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/robotica/toebehoren/solenoid-push-pull-6v-300ma-jf-0530b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| TIP31C Transistor 100V 3A || TinyTronics || €0,50 || 12 || €6,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/transistor-fet/tip31c-transistor-100v-3a<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Diode 1N4007 || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 12 || €1,20 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/diode/diode-1n4007<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tactile Pushbutton Switch Momentary 4pin 6*6*5mm || TinyTronics || €0,10 || 8 || €0,80 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/tactile-pushbutton-switch-momentary-4pin-6*6*5mm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Rood - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-rood-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Alpha Wire Draad - Enkeladerig - Solide - Ø1.5mm 0.33mm2 - Zwart - 1m || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 4 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/kabels/prototype-draden/alpha-wire-draad-enkeladerig-solide-%C3%B81.5mm-0.33mm2-zwart-1m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Experimenteer-printplaat 7cm*9cm || TinyTronics || €1,00 || 3 || €3,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/prototyping/printplaten/experimenteer-printplaat-7cm*9cm<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Witte Drukknop 12mm - Reset - PBS-33B || TinyTronics || €0,75 || 2 || €1,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/witte-drukknop-12mm-reset-pbs-33b<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 3 Model B 1GB || TinyTronics || €37,50 || 1 || €37,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/main-boards/raspberry-pi-3-model-b-1gb<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Mean Well Voeding - 5V 7A - Switching Power Supply - LRS-35-5 || TinyTronics || €13,00 || 1 || €13,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/5v/mean-well-voeding-5v-7a-switching-power-supply-lrs-35-5<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard 230V Voedingskabel - 1.8m || TinyTronics || €4,00 || 1 || €4,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/voedingen/accessoires/standaard-230v-voedingskabel-1.8m<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Raspberry Pi 40 pins GPIO Extension kit || TinyTronics || €4,50 || 1 || €4,50 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/raspberry-pi/accessoires/raspberry-pi-40-pins-gpio-extension-kit<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Devil Design PLA Filament 1.75mm - 1kg - Donker Blauw || TinyTronics || €18,00 || 1 || €18,00 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/3d-printen/filament/1.75mm-pla/devil-design-pla-filament-1.75mm-1kg-donker-blauw<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Standaard Inbouw Wipschakelaar - Klein || TinyTronics || €0,45 || 1 || €0,45 || https://www.tinytronics.nl/shop/nl/componenten/schakelaars/standaard-inbouw-wipschakelaar-klein<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Broadband speaker 8 ? 3 W || AlleKabels || €4,99 || 1 || €4,99 || https://www.allekabels.nl/luidspreker-zelfbouw/237/1370071/broadband-speaker-8-3-w.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;" <br />
| VD draad - VD H07V-U - 1.5 mm2 || AlleKabels || €0,39 || 1 || €0,39 || https://www.allekabels.nl/vd-draad/7119/1300302/vd-draad-vd-h07v-u-15-mm2.html<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| '''Total''' || '''Various''' || '''Various''' || '''65''' || '''€145.33''' || '''Not Applicable'''<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=Usability Testing=<br />
In this section, tests are mentioned in order to measure user-friendliness and drawbacks of current prototype. After each task, user experience will be asked and assessed. At the end of all tasks, a general user experience can be generated and used as feedback in order to improve the current prototype. <br />
<br />
The usability tests can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Usability-Tests|here]]<br />
<br />
=Implementation=<br />
The product that will be created throughout the project will have multiple functionalities. Therefore it is important to get an overview of all these functionalities to find a proper way of implementing each subpart in the final design. At first the RaspberryPi (RPi) has been chosen, due to the better performance than the Arduino (1 GB RAM Memory, 40 IO Pins, and an 1.2 GHz micropocessor). This will be the core of the design, since the RPi will direct all the different signals to the different subparts of the final design. The different subparts that will be implemented are:<br />
* A switch to turn the device on and off (an on/off switch);<br />
* A braille example keyboard that will show the letters that are under consideration (6 solenoids);<br />
* An input braille keyboard where the user has to press the button of the example keyboard to generate the required letter (6 solenoids);<br />
* A button to reset the current input on the braille keyboard (a reset button);<br />
* Voice-controlled user encouragement via a speaker or via an Aux input (speaker and Aux port);<br />
* Two buttons to control the mode that is tested on the user, whereas the modes are letter_in/letter_out, voice_letter_in/letter_out, word_in/word_out, and voice_word_in/word_out. All of these modes will be deliberated upon more further into this section (two button for mode control);<br />
* A next button to confirm the input of the user (one button for next letter or to complete input);<br />
* A power input port for the RPi (power adapter regarding the RPi).<br />
<br />
A crude approximation of the final product that will be manufactured throughout the project is shown in the picture to the right.<br />
<br />
[[file:USE_Proto.jpg|500px|thumb|A crude approximation of the final product that will be made throughout the project]]<br />
<br />
Regarding the different input modes that can be controlled by the user, there was:<br />
*letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via the example keyboard and the letter under consideration will also be voice-controlled. Then the user presses the next button and presses the solenoid buttons that represent the shown example letter. By pressing the next button again, the input of the user is validated, and if this input is correct the user will be commended. If the input would be wrong, the user can try again with the example letter for a second try.<br />
*voice_letter_in/letter_out: In this mode the user will learn the letters of the alphabet via voice-control. Then the user presses the solenoid buttons that represent the spoken letter under consideration. By pressing the next button to confirm the input, the input of the user is validated. If it is correct the user will be commended. If the input is incorrect, the user can try again with the voice-controlled letter under consideration.<br />
*word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words, whereas the example keyboard will show single letters of the word one by one, while the word under consideration will also be voice-controlled. The user presses next after consecutive letters of the word, and after the whole word has been shown as an example, the user can press the solenoid buttons that represent the letters of the word under consideration by pressing next after each input letter. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more of the letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by repeating the example braille letters.<br />
*voice_word_in/word_out: In this mode the user can learn words solely based on their pronunciation, whereas the word will be voice-controlled. Now the user will press the buttons for the consecutive letters of the word on the input keyboard, where each letter is followed by the next button. If the word has been completed, it will be checked. If the final letter inputs for the word are correct the user will be commended. If one or more letter inputs are incorrect, the user can simply try again by hearing the pronunciation of the word once more.<br />
<br />
With all of these different modes, multiple levels regarding the learning of braille can be achieved. In the process an inexperienced person may start with letters and finally learn words, while a more experienced person may already start with words. This will increase the range of the population that can use this product.<br />
<br />
Since the product has to be for a broad educational public, the specifications have to be well-defined. For example the cost of the product should not exceed €200,00 such that pre-schools can invest in this product. Also the weight of the product should not be more than 500 grams, since the device has to be portable for mainly younger children. The dimensions of the device should also be kept in its perks, which are now defined as 12x4x5 cm. This property, however, is still subject to change regarding the material that are implemented in the final design.<br />
<br />
== Design ==<br />
* How are buttons coordinated<br />
* Sizes<br />
* Weight<br />
* Prototype<br />
<br />
===Electrical design===<br />
<br />
The details of the electrical design of the components, their assembly and testing process can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|here]].<br />
<br />
== Functionality ==<br />
* Functions of buttons<br />
* Audio (volume)<br />
* Several levels of difficulty/modus <br />
* How can a user operate the device / interaction<br />
<br />
== Software ==<br />
The software is available on [https://github.com/TimDriessen/Braillearn Github] and will be kept up to date during the project.<br />
<br />
== SolidWorks Casing ==<br />
The casing for the final product called the 'Braillearn' is given on this separate [[PRE2019_3_Group4_SolidWorks_Casing|wiki page]]. On this page the design decisions regarding the casing and the SolidWorks design files can be found.<br />
<br />
=Vision/Future=<br />
* Evaluation of product / current state-of-art<br />
* Potential additions to the current design <br />
** Microphone <br />
*limitations <br />
* Impact<br />
<br />
=Manual=<br />
The manual to use the product can be found [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Manual|here]].<br />
<br />
=Hable= <br />
* '''Questions:'''<br />
** How does the Hable system work in its entirety, i.e. how is it connected to the cellphone and how are the braille cells read by the system?<br />
*** Is the Bluetooth protocol similar to that of for example a wireless Bluetooth keyboard?<br />
** What were your expectations before testing your keyboard on blind people and how much were they in line with the evaluation by the blind people themselves?<br />
** Were there any unforeseen reactions or particularities investigated during their evaluation which you have used to improve your prototype? <br />
** How much time did it take for blind people to get used to the keyboard/ were there any difficulties?<br />
** What materials did you use to build your keyboard and can you explain why you used certain materials over other materials?<br />
** Did you test the user acceptability for your design, and if so, how did you properly test it?<br />
** How would navigation on your phone using the Hable system work?<br />
** How would you explain the functionalities of the system to a blind person, i.e. how do they know which button represents which action?<br />
<br />
A full overview of Questions & Answers can be found here: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Hable|Hable Q&A]]<br />
<br />
=State of the art - abstracts (temporary title)=<br />
The reviewed state of the art references are given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]]. These references are about braille teaching devices and practicalities regarding learning braille in practice.<br />
<br />
The old state of the art references are also given on a separate wiki page: [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art_Old|State Of The Art (Old)]]. These references are about the text-to-braille conversion, which was the first idea for the project. Eventually it was decided to make a braille-teaching device.<br />
<br />
===Existing Devices===<br />
<ref name='LegoBraille1> https://www.closingthegap.com/introducing-lego-braille-bricks/</ref><br />
<ref name='LegoBraille2> https://techcrunch.com/2019/04/24/lego-braille-bricks-are-the-best-nicest-and-in-retrospect-most-obvious-idea-ever/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Annie1> https://thinkerbelllabs.com/annie</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie2> https://www.closingthegap.com/annie-worlds-first-self-learning-braille-device-for-the-visually-impaired/</ref><br />
<ref name='Annie3> https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/features/anand-mahindra-backed-startup-is-empowering-the-visually-impaired-annie-thinkerbell-labs/articleshow/72342128.cms?from=mdr</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Taptilo1> https://www.taptilo.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Taptilo2> https://www.closingthegap.com/taptilo-new-smart-device-teach-braille/</ref><br />
<br />
<ref name='Hable1> https://iamhable.com/</ref><br />
<ref name='Hable2> https://www.cursor.tue.nl/nieuws/2019/juni/week-1/hable-laat-blinden-met-braille-appen/</ref><br />
<br />
=Logbook=<br />
<br />
==Week 1==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 10 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), finding proper state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (2 hours), reading and summarizing the state-of-the-art literature [13]-[17] (4 hours), writing the introduction and users section with relevant literature (2.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 9.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), formatted the wiki page (1.5 hours), found papers [1], [7]-[12] (2 hours), read and summarized papers [1], [7]-[12] (3 hours), wrote requirements (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 7 hours || Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [18]-[22] (2 hours), summarized papers [18]-[22] (0.75 hours), finding objectives (0.75 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10 hours|| Opening lecture (2 hours), group discussion (1.5 hours), learning how to use wikitext (0.5 hours), writing the sections for approach, milestones and deliverables (3 hours), literature research and summarizing artiles on current state-of-the-art devices [23] - [27] (3 hours), <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), found papers [2]-[6] (2 hours), summarized papers [2]-[6] (1 hours), writing problem-statement (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 2==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9.7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), filled in BOM (0.5 hours), worked out the approximated design and started with SolidWorks (5.5 hours), rewritten user section (0.5 hours), wrote down two questions for Hable (0.2 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 8.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), rewritten requirements (1 hour), looked into working of solenoids (1 hour), worked out design for controlling solenoids (1.5 hours), described working of design (2 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 10.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), contact hable (0.4 hours), found papers [28]-[30] / existing devices(1.5 hours), summarized papers [28] - [30] (1.2 hours), rewriting objectives (0.8 hours), technical possibilities (0.2 hours), wrote existing devices (3.2 hours), questions halbe (0.2) hours<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 10,5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), Finding & summarizing research papers on braille, issues in braille learning and strategies for braille learning + Writing the Research section (7,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), rewrote problem-statement and added new references [3] - [7] (2 hours), wrote expected impact (1.5 hours), created Hable label on Wiki, added questions, created new labels: Implementation, Vision and Usability Testing (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 3==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 17.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), getting acquainted with SolidWorks (2 hours), made SolidWorks casing design (11 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 18.5 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into raspberry pi (1.5 hours), looking into combining Python files (2 hours), looking into dynamically accessing files (2 hours), writing and testing [[PRE2019_3_Group4#Software|demo program]] (8 hours), writing readme on Github (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 8.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), planning/gantt chart (1 hours), looking into raspberry pi (2 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), looking into code (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 8 hours|| Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), watching youtube tutorials on coding in python and getting familiar with the language (3,5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 11.5 hours || Group discussion (3 hours), meeting Hable (1 hours), meeting approval hardware purchase (0.5 hours), writing manual device (2 hours), transcribing and writing Q&A Hable conversation (5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 4==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 16.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), added drilling holes to SolidWorks casing (2.5 hours), made and edited SolidWorks casing page (2 hours), soldering and testing the design regarding the solenoids (10.5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 11.75 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours), soldering and testing the solenoid design (9.5 hours), edit the [[PRE2019_3_Group4_Electrical_Design|electrical design]] page (0.75 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 12 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), contact Hable (0.25 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (7.75 hours), software (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1.5 hours|| Group discussion (1.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 7.5 hours || Group discussion (1.5 hours), writing Manual part 2 (3 hours), writing Usability Tests (3 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 9 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), change SolidWorks design after deliberation with 3D printing contact (2.5 hours), editing SolidWorks design wiki page (0.5 hours), worked on new [[PRE2019_3_Group4_State_Of_The_Art|State Of The Art]] page (5 hours).<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 10.5 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours), setting up raspberry pi + making code run on raspberry pi (5 hours), adding repeat feature (2 hours), adding feature to quiz whole words (2.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 13 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Contact 3D print person (2.5 hours), Software (9.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 1 hours|| Group discussion (1 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 4 hours || Group discussion (1 hours), Finishing the Manual part 3 (2 hours), creating pictures for the manual (1 hour)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
==Week 5==<br />
{| border=1 style="border-collapse: collapse;" cellpadding = 5 <br />
! Name !! Student number !! Time spent !! Break-down<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Rob Vissers || 1244863 || 0 hours || <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Ivo Kersten || 1233717 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tim Driessen || 1006903 || 1.5 hours || Working on script for sproken text (1 hours), Contact 3D person (0.5 hours)<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Tom Janssen || 1233021 || 0 hours|| <br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
| Sander van Bommel || 1017917 || 0 hours ||<br />
|-style="text-align: center;"<br />
|}<br />
<br />
=References=<br />
<references /></div>20173932