Affordable Braille Display Technology for STEM Education: Enhancing Accessibility in Schools

Braille literacy is critical for individuals with visual impairments, yet the high cost of refreshable braille displays (RBDs) remains a barrier to accessibility in educational settings. Current RBDs rely on expensive piezoelectric actuators, limiting widespread adoption. This paper introduces BrailleSense, a novel, low-cost refreshable braille display that utilizes a CAM-based actuation system and magnetic encoder tracking to significantly reduce production costs while maintaining high precision and reliability. The system features a rotating drum mechanism that drives braille dot actuation, with AS5600 magnetic encoders ensuring accurate positional tracking through a PID control loop. There are 2 shafts within each module, each representing every combination of raised and lowered pins for 3 dots. The magnetic encoder provides 12-bit resolution (0.0879° per step) for precise positioning through leveraging the Hall Effect. Finite element analysis (FEA) confirms the mechanical robustness of the design, and preliminary cost analysis estimates a per module cost of less than 4% of existing RBD modules. Additional testing will be conducted to enhance the durability and accuracy of the drum-based mechanism under extended usage. Additionally, further improvements will focus on scaling the design for a larger refreshable braille display while maintaining cost efficiency. BrailleSense presents a promising step toward making affordable, scalable braille technology accessible to students and institutions worldwide.