Skip to content

Project planning

Braille for Bhutan

There is lack of resources in Bhutan for visually impared in dzongkha or bhutanese context. For example, if someone wants to learn Bhutan map or animals in Bhutan there is not technical resource.

That is one of reason I want to make something for visually impared. I was deciding between two projects but now I have decided to make this Braille for Bhutan (need to comeup with a tacky name)

alt text

I saw a toy called BecDot sold commercially which has an inspiring story behind it and I wanted to make something similar to this but with for Bhutan.

Key Feature: 1. Braille cells 2. RFID tag reader 3. RFID tag programmer 4. Sound output 5. Selection english/Dzongkha output and sound/ no sound

Material and Component

  1. 3d print the case
  2. Design Silicon button
  3. MCU (XIAO or SAMD)
  4. Selenoid switch
  5. Speaker
  6. RFID tag reader
  7. resistors
  8. capacitors
  9. Switches 10.LEDs

First Iteration

My first step will be to work on

  1. Design the electronics for braille cell and RFID tag reader

  2. Design the Casing for the whole thing .

Second Iteration

  1. Integrage the sound output
  2. Program soundout for dzongkha
  3. Make design changes and make silicon braille cells. mm

Third iteration

  1. Make a software integration for programming the RFID and the Braille board

Cardboad prototype

We had 2 hour sprint to make a cardboard prototype of our project and how we a picturing our project. I considered where the PCB will go, how the connections will be made and placement of will the input and output devices.S

alt text

alt text

Working

alt text

CAD Design for DrukMap.

I am thinking of doing Geopgraphy for all project. It is basically a learing tool for all with Voice output but I want this to teach more than just Geopraphy. Therefore, my first step in the spiral development of this project will be to design a geography kit.

alt text

This was modified last week 17-19th Feb during our makerthone in develloping AT by one of the groups.

Next, I want to make this into a book and add more pages with different learning material.

What will this do?

I consulted with a blind school in east and also a Mr. Pema in Minstry of education who is visually impared, and they both showed the need for a Tactile Bhutan map. I wanted to do something more and add a sound output and make it in dzongkha.

Key Features 1. Tactile map 2. Voice output in dzongkha(Bhutans national language) 3. Button input 4. Braille inbossed names 5. Scalabe with more pages.

Casing design

As the learning tool I am thinking of is for blinds, I want to make a tactile maps outer line so I tried putting in some spears on the suface using the Pattern on path feature in Create. I played around with the numbers and quantiy of the pattern but my laptop was not coorperating so I left it at that for now.

Instead I decided to create a new design file and start with making the casing/base of my project which will later hold my Electronics. The Casing will have a sliding Lid which I thinking will be more user friendly for Kids and safer. Pictures below show the details of the design.

  • Imported screws from Mcmaster from the Insert option by downloading the component. The compnents appear at the left hand side once downloaded. I copied the same screw again as I needed 2 numbers.

Next, I wanted to try the Joint opetation in the Assemble.