7th Grader Creates Braille Printing Machine From Legos
Last year, 12 year old Shubham Banerjee from California built a low-cost Braille printing machine for a school science project. After learning that the devices are not cheap, he was determined to create a way to make them cheap so it could be more accessible. Using Lego’s Mindstorms EV3 robotics kit and a few extra things, he figured how to make the printer based on a existing design but modified it with new software and hardware enhancements. The keyboard attached allows users to type in text which then converts into Braille by the “Braigo” machine. A thumbtack punches the raised bumps into a roll of paper. Though it operates slowly, it’s enough to display the concept.
Due to the overwhelming support and the several awards Banerjee has got, he decided to create his own company called Braigo Labs. The goal of the company is to develop an affordable, lightweight desktop Braille printer. Banerjee, aged 13, was able to create an improved version of his original creation with the help of his dad’s cash injection. Us tech firm Intel were so impressed with the boy’s work that they decided to invest an undisclosed sum of money into his startup.
