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A California eighth-grader who invented a low-cost Braille printer, has partnered with Microsoft to realize his dream of improving life for the blind. Shubham Banerjee, 13, of Santa Clara, is now working with a team at the company to bring an updated version of his Braille printer – Braigo 2.0. Banerjee came up with the idea of integrating his love of Lego and willingness to find an alternative way to help the visually impaired, resulting in the invention of an open source cost reduced DIY braille printer.
Banerjee is receiving rave reviews and valuable support from experts and prestigious companies for Braigo, which he had developed using Lego Mindstorms EV3, a robotics kit. The invention has been hailed as the first low-cost, IoT-enabled, silent and lightweight Braille printer.
With millions of visually-impaired people in the world, of whom 90 per cent live in developing countries, Banerjee decided to develop a printer that was low-cost and could be used easily. He said he was shocked to learn that braille printers cost over $2,000, and is targeting a price point of $500 or less for the printer to ensure affordability for organizations working for the visually-impaired in developing and least developed countries.
Getting support from his father Neil, Banerjee worked on his product for nearly a month, at the same time focusing on his studies and other extra-curricular activities.
The consumer-focused braille printer, which uses new technology and an Intel Edison chip, is portable, silent and will be offered at a price point well below currently available products for the visually impaired.
“Our relationship with Microsoft will help Braigo achieve a seamless experience for a visually-impaired person who wants to use a computer at home or at the office to print documents for offline reading,” Banerjee said in Microsoft blog post. “Participating in the fair and working with Microsoft has been an amazing experience and I am looking at ways to integrate the Windows technology with the printer as I prepare to launch it commercially by November this year,” he added.
Banerjee was also invited to the White House last June for developing an accessible solution for blind and disadvantaged people across the globe.
The post Teen Works With Microsoft On Updated Version of His Braille Printer appeared first on News India Times.
