Paige Connect builds on a great tradition of adaptations for the Perkins braille writer.
History
Perkins Brailler
The most widely used mechanical braille writer in the world since its invention in 1951. It has been hailed as "the best machine ever invented to teach students braille".
Braille-n-Print
The first adaptation for the Perkins was invented by Norman Wilson and allowed the user to produce both a braille copy and a print copy of the embossed paper using a dot matrix printer.
Interfacing a Perkins Brailler to a BBC Micro
In 1984, John Spragg developed a means of transcribing grade II braille written on a Perkins to text automatically using a BBC Micro.
Braildec
In 1986, the company Sensotec launched their first ever product The Braildec, which decoded braille and converted it into print using a dot matrix printer. It was used by mainstream blind children in primary education until the end of the 1990s.
A Modified Perkins Brailler for Text Entry into Windows Applications
Gareth Evans, Stephen Pettitt, and Paul Blenkhorn developed a PCB that was mounted immediately below the base of the Perkins. This had nine optical sensors, one for each key, which recorded information that could be sent to a PC’s serial port.
Paige Connect
Paige Connect builds on a great a tradition of adaptations for the Perkins Brailler to enable instant collaboration with sighted teachers, family, and friends.
