A Braille Embosser for Independent Use by Low-Vision People

Overview

Adequate access to Braille resources is one of the largest challenges that can improve blind people's education level and social connectedness. The current embossers on the market are extremely expensive and hard to maintain. Last year, I made a cheap Braille embosser using a CNC plotter, open source software, and a custom made website. This year I have made improvements to every part of the embosser that has made it fully automatic, with streamlined software and far more efficient printing. On the hardware side, I have added a paper mover that stores paper and spins them into the printing area when the previous sheet is done being embossed. This mechanism also drives the Y axis of printing, which doubles the efficiency of one motor. The two motors which move the paper also act as workholding, which prevents the paper from moving around. This increase in the number of motors to four requires a second Arduino to be able to power all the motors. For more consistent power, I added a 110v AC to 24v 10a DC adapter, which gets rid of the risky soldered wire from last year. For software, I turned from GRBL-Plotter into a custom made software that’s compatible with my paper mover. This also streamlined the software process by enabling the user to just type on the website instead of several manual steps to send data to the stepper motors. These changes lead to the printing process being simplified a lot. Compared to the multilayered operational process of the embosser last year, this year all the user has to do is plug in the power, plug into the computer, stock up on paper, and print.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Electronics & Electromagnetics (Junior Division) · Entry J-10-09

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