Automatic Braille code translation system

Abstract

This paper reports the results obtained in the implementation of an Optical Braille Recognizer (O.B.R.), as well as the construction of a keyboard for the Braille code. This project was developed with the objective of enabling teachers of blind people, who do not know the Braille code, to visualize the texts written by their students. An electronic keyboard, less noisy and less expensive than the traditional mechanical ones was built too. To achieve these objectives, the "Compendium of the Braille code for the Portuguese Language" was used. The final program translates plain text, mathematics and chemistry sheets written in Braille code. It's also possible to write plain text, mathematics or chemistry using the developed keyboard. The program is written in Java and the keyboard communicates with it through serial port. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.