NU Robotics
NU Robotics is the robotics club on campus. As a part of NU Robotics, I worked on the design and construction of a Braille Printer. This Braille Printer was meant to be a low cost alternative to existing solutions that someone could use in their house or at school.
I proposed the implementation of a pneumatic system to replace the existing linear motor actuation and integrated it into the existing frame.
System Overview
The braille printer works by replacing an existing printers head with an embossing setup. This helps keep the cost low at under $400 compared to the thousands that existing setups cost. The embossing setup has a disk that, based on its configuration, can contact any combination of pins on one side. Once the pins are selected, a pneumatic cylinder presses the entire setup into the pins which are held up by springs. The pins press into the paper underneath and create the dots.
Pneumatics and Controls
The pneumatic cylinder is connected to a small pump and reservoir that is filled up prior to printing. The existing carriage mechanism is used with a stronger motor installed to handle the weight of the piston and machined parts. All the components are controlled via motor controllers and an Arduino which can take commands from a computer.
