• The Journal of Korea Robotics Society
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.137-142
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• 2007

In an information-oriented society, visually impaired persons also should obtain the information with relative ease. They tend to receive the information of letters by tactile sensation through braille display systems. Several types of braille display systems have been suggested so far, but none of them have been widely used yet. The braille display system should provide multiple lines of braille units to improve the level of understanding. In this paper, we propose a cell type braille unit with $3{\times}2$ dots, each of which consists of a piezoelectric linear motor. A braille cell is small and lightweight enough to be portable, and it can be easily assembled in multiple lines. The preliminary tests using the proposed braille display system show that it can provide the information that can be well perceived by visually impaired persons.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2016

Music braille is made up of more systematic and various symbols compared with text braille. Therefore, the translation of braille music requires extensive knowledge of the music and the braille symbols. Because currently the computer program for the text braille has already developed, we don't need any help from the braille translator. However, the translation of music braille is hard without the help of a professional music braille translator, because the translation computer program is not perfect. The current situation is that the music braille translator reads the music score and translates it into the braille himself. In this paper, we designed and implemented the "Braille Music Converter", you can implement a person does not understand the braille translation into music braille well. It includes translation into text braille for the lyrics processing and rest, octave, key signature, time signature, tie, slur, repeat mark was confirmed that the successful conversion to the actual music score.

• The Transactions of the Korea Information Processing Society
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.703-714
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• 1998

Translation of a Korean text into a braille text causes no problem under the existing Korean braille-code System that maintains I: I correspondence between Korean characters and braille codes. However, reverse translation of a braille text into a Korean text would cause unavoidable mis-translation due to I : N correspondences between braille codes and Korean characters. The analysis shows that in Korean braille-code System, the major reasons for mis-translation are the conflicts between Korean Chosung (initial consonant) letters and numbers, between Korean Jongsung (final consonant) letters and punctuations, between Korean Jongsung (final consonant) letters and English mode delimiter codes, and overlapping use of the same braille code such as opening and closing parentheses. In this paper, we firstly established a reverse translation rule, that is to use an ordinary braille code unless the braille code causes any conflict in braille code sequences. If any ordinary braille code may cause some conflict during the reverse translation, an extended braille code that we propose in this paper must be used. In the experimentation, we cannot get any translation errors with the newly designed braille-code System compared with 25% of errors with the existing braille-code System.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.41-50
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• 2020

This paper deals with the Braille Education System which complements the shortcomings of the existing Braille Learning Products. An application dedicated to the blind is configured to perform full functions through touch gestures and voice guidance for user convenience. Braille kit is produced for educational purposes through Arduino and 3D printing. The system supports the following functions. First, the learning of the most basic braille, such as initial consonants, final consonant, vowels, abbreviations, etc. Second, the ability to check learned braille by solving step quizzes. Third, translation of braille. Through the experiment, the recognition rate of touch gestures and the accuracy of braille expression were confirmed, and in case of translation, the translation was done as intended. The system allows blind people to learn braille efficiently.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.63-70
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• 2010

Research and development of Assistive Technology (AT) for blind people is primarily focused on assisting mobility and improving access to information. Some particularly useful devices for aiding access to information and communication are DAISY players used with talking books, screen readers for reading screens, video magnifiers to aid low vision, Braille displays, and Braille PDAs. These essential devices have been successfully commercialized and have assisted many visually impaired people. Assistive technology devices for visually impaired people are called sensory substitution devices, because these devices substitute tactile or auditory functions for visual functions. The tactile interfaces of sensory substitution devices such as Braille displays and Braille PDAs have a bimorph type of piezoelectric actuator that forms a Braille (pin) of the Braille cells by moving up and down. KGS Corporation of Japan has more than 80% share of the worldwide market for these Braille cell actuators. Commercializing it for the first time in the world. This paper reviews the various endeavors in Japan in the research and development of tactile displays, such as Braille displays and Braille PDAs. Furthermore, it discusses sensory substitution devices that use tactile displays, focusing especially on the rotating Braille display we have developed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.51-57
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• 2015

Digital braille music is an indispensible instrument for the blind persons to enjoy music and to proceed the more professional music education. Producing braille music requires professionals such as braille translators thereby it costs money for an individual to order braille music. Therefore, public libraries involve in producing and distributing braille music. Current status of digital braille music in Korea has been far from the fulfillment with the unmet needs of the blind people for diversity in their music preferences. This paper analyses the present condition of braille music possession in Korea National Library. Based on the analysis, policy proposals has been proposed.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.343-350
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• 2017

Music Braille is essential and academic materials for the blind to learn and enjoy music. In Korea, National Library for the Disabled is the public institution for the manufacture digital music braille by the request and the center of music rehabilitation the disabled also make the digital music braille on a welfare level. However, most of braille libraries in Korea do have little music braille compared to other braille books. This paper reports the current situations how braille libraries including National library for the Disabled contain braille books, music brailles and digital music brailles to find out that the blinds can be provided exact informations about music brailles and digital music brailles so they can learn music with the right materials such as music brailles. In conclusion, the construction of Database for the digital music brailles is required and necessary for the blind to have better activities of music from the welfare and artistic point of view.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
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• v.24
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• pp.139-169
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• 1993

The major purpose of this study is to scrutinize and analyze various factors in numerous aspects of two different library systems for the visually handicapped, namely braille library and a special section for the visually handicapped in the public library system. The analyses may provide theoretical and conceptual framework on which strategies to enhance services for the visually handicapped is to be developed. More specifically, this study seeks (1) to examine a linkage between the degree of maintenance of staffs, collections, and equipment and the level of satisfactions of librarians and (2) to come up with more effective mechanisms of welfare services for the visually handicapped in each library system. This research is qualitative-descriptive and uses interview method. Fourteen libraries throughout the nation (4 public libraries with a reading room for the visually handicapped and 8 braille libraries) which had been in operation more than one year were selected as subjects for the research. Findings and results of the analyses are summarized as follows : 1. There seems to be general consensus that each of public and braille library has significant but, to a certain extent, different roles to play in order to enhance library services for the visually handicapped. Recruitment of qualified librarians, increase of the volume of collection, and enlargement of reading room space are noted as immediate concerns for the former. For the latter, it was suggested that increase of the number of staff for publishing, securing more equipments for pulication in braille, and wider scope as well as more variety of publications are the pressing problems at hand. 2. Both public and braille library employ one librarian for the visually handicapped who is required to have educational background in library science and special education. In addition, one must have competence in reading braille types. 3. Majority of reading rooms in those libraries is so small in physical aspect that size and number of seats are 66m2 and 15 seats respectively because circulation services are mainly in use due to the problem of inaccessibility which is commonly suffered by the visually handicapped. 4. Library services for the visually handicapped are heavily concentrated upon the large urban area. In fact, most of braille libraries are located in Seoul whereas a reading room for the visually handicapped in the public library system are exclusively placed in the large cities such as Inchon, Taejon, and Taegu. 5. All of the public library is neither equipped with necessary facilities to publish in braille nor secured supporting instruments which may facilitate library use for the visually handicapped. On the contrary, most of braille libraries are equipped with arrangements to publish in braille despite supporting devices are gererally lacking. 6. Consequently, provision of services In the public library is largely confined to reading and circulation of materials purchased from braille libraries while major task of braille libraries centers around publication and distributions of the reading materials in braille.

• Journal of Korean Library and Information Science Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.93-118
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• 1999

This study analyzes the problem of braille library information services for visually handicapped and suggests the alternatives to solve the identified problems. This study uses a case study method and Pusan Braille Library was selected as a case. The data for this study were collected by the following two methods : (1) document analysis; (2) interviews with 1 staff and 6 users in the Pusan Braille Library. The emphasis of this study was on analyzing the problem; in braille library services, particularly from the following three aspects : (1) both quality and quantity of materials; (2) the facilities; (3) the human factors staffs and volunteers. Suggestion are made to improve the quality in information services of braille libraries - particularly, producing many diskette materials, establishing collection development policy of diskette materials, pervading computers and its facilities, reeducating braille library staffs to cope with rapidly developing information technology.

• Journal of the Korean BIBLIA Society for library and Information Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.113-132
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• 2005

The aim of this study is to expand and deepen our knowledge of Braille libraries in Japan. This study begins with a different viewpoint than previous ones. It does not view Braille libraries solely from the institutions themselves but it locates them within the historical context of Japanese society and both Braille and public libraries. It finds that although Braille and public libraries began with similar purposes, they drastically diverged after 1949 when the former’s welfare center-like function for the blind became more apparent. But by the 1970s, Braille libraries shifted in the direction of its original library function at the impetus of the Blind Reading Rights Movement.