[BRLTTY] Braille display hardware recommendations

[Shérab]

Jason White (2017/10/09 23:54 +0000):
> Shérab <Sebastien.Hinderer at ens-lyon.org> wrote:
>  
> > I use HumanWare's Brailliant 40 daily and quite like its braille
> > display. It also has a braille keyboard which I don't find very easy to
> > use because the keys do not go down a lot when you press them.
> > 
> 
> I looked at one very briefly at an exhibition (more than three, perhaps four
> years ago - maybe even more). I don't remember the keyboard layout very well
> though.

At the front are 4 thumb keys. On top of the device, closest to the user
are the two space bars that are really the same key, meaning e.g. the
left one can not be bound to something else than the right one. Then
comes the braille display and the routing keys. At the left of this are
three round keys forming a vertical bar, same at the right. These six
keys are like braille dots.

Behind the routing keys is the braille keyboard. It's two groups of four
keys each.

> > This device does not have editing facilities built-in, though.
> > 
> 
> As I remember, it cannot store files either.

Indeed.

> Their BrailleNote Touch can - and
> it's quite impressive - but only has a 32-cell line.

It reminds me of the BrailleSense from hims. I like its shape and design
but it also has 32 cells only and I am not sure Hims has a lot of
interest in Linux support.

> > I also have a BrailleStar from HandyTech. It has curved cells and no
> > braille keyboard but I quite appreciate the contacts with the
> > manufacturer. With such a device you can embed a Raspberry Pi as Mario
> > did and that's in my opinion a very interesting aspect.
> 
> That's very interesting. It probably voids the manufacturer's warranty, but I
> nevertheless like the idea.

I don't think it does because you don't need to do anything special
regarding the device to make this possible. The communication between
the device and the i goes through bluetooth. In the device itself there
is a slot in which there is a cable that comes out and provides electric
power. Originally this has been done to let users put their phones there
and this is what is being re-used to put the pi in a safe place, but as
you can see from the point of view of the braille device nothing special
is done.

> Their newer device in this category is the Active Braille, which supports
> sensors that detect the position of the user's reading fingers on the display.
> This allows the braille window to be advanced automatically as the user
> progresses through the text. This feature can also be used for other purposes
> (e.g., in teaching braille and in research) that may not be of direct interest
> to most participants in the BRLTTY list.

Isn't it the ActiveStart you are actually talking about? That's the one
I have, in fact, I wrote the wrong name in my previous mail, sorry about
that.

Shérab.