# Low-Cost Refreshable Full-Page Braille Display with High Reliability

> **NIH NIH R43** · POLYK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC · 2022 · $259,613

## Abstract

Project Summary
 PolyK Technologies, LLC
 SBIR Phase I
 An estimated 314 million people live with vision impairment. Nowadays, much
information and knowledge are obtained by reading from computers, tablets, and
smartphones. Refreshable Braille display is becoming the mainstream tool for the blind
to access digital information. In the refreshable Braille display, the up-and-down of Braille
dots is independently controlled by sending electrical signals to the actuators underneath
the Braille dots.
 Even after many decades of effort, there are still two apparent limitations for the
market dominated refreshable Braille displays: 1) the commercial refreshable Braille
displays are still limited to a single text line, which cannot process graphics, mathematic
data (typically presented in a columnar format, not horizontal format), or large amounts
of structured and dynamic information. 2) these Braille displays are based on
piezoceramic actuators, which are fragile and ponderous.
 In this project, we will develop a full-page Braille display system. It is enabled by
the two recent patented innovations, i.e., a new generation high performance
electroactive polymer composition with ultrahigh actuation strain (developed in 2021) and
an innovative actuator design which greatly reduces the Braille cell size by 80% and
simplifies the assembly of a full-page Braille display. The project will be conducted by an
interdisciplinary team consisting of material scientists, electrical engineer, blind
entrepreneur, and braille press.
 The proposed full-page Braille display system will be compact (80% size reduction),
lightweight and durable (based on piezoelectric polymer actuators), and low cost (can be
roll-to-roll manufactured). It will revolutionize the way the blind access information,
especially for graphics or dynamic database which is currently inaccessible to them. It will
greatly improve the education and employment opportunities for blind people (a giant leap
for blind people to learn subjects like mathematics and science) and enhance their life
quality (web surfing and viewing arts and photographs).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10482654
- **Project number:** 1R43EY033576-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** POLYK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Shihai Zhang
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $259,613
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-01 → 2023-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10482654

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10482654, Low-Cost Refreshable Full-Page Braille Display with High Reliability (1R43EY033576-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10482654. Licensed CC0.

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