VISVESVARAYA TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

BELAGAVI-590018, KARNATAKA.

Proposal Submitted on the project Titled

“Braille Learning: An EEG based self-learning and cognitive ability

assessing system for poor BLIND CHILDREN in remote areas”

By

Dr. REKHA C SHEIK IMRAN M.Tech.

Associate Professor, Assistant Professor,
Dept. of IS&E, Dept. of IS&E,
BIET, Davangere. BIET, Davangere.

2023
Department of Information Science and Engineering,
Bapuji Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Davangere -577004.

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 Abstract
Pandemic has affected life of everyone, especially every child studying in schools. Schools
could use the facility of online classes using internet applications such as Zoom, WebEx and
Google meet, etc., but the problem was with blind or visually impaired children who couldn’t go
to school and those living in remote areas because they did not have any opportunity to start or
continue their studies. So, we have proposed a device which can be used by blind children from
remote places. Though blind children learn Braille system, we have developed a device containing
buttons similar to the format used to represent every braille character with audio response to the
learning blind child. An EEG sensor device will be used to record the data generated from blind
children while learning process to analyse, assess and enhance their cognitive ability in learning
process.

Keywords: Braille

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 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Description of the problem:

Pandemic has affected life of everyone, especially every child studying in schools. Schools
could use the facility of online classes using internet applications such as Zoom, WebEx and
Google meet, etc., but the problem with blind or visually impaired children who couldn’t go to
school and those living in remote areas didn’t have any opportunity to continue their studies. So,
we developed a device which can be used by blind children at any remote place. Braille is a system
of raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or who have low vision.
Braille symbols are formed within units of space known as braille cells. A full braille cell consists
of six raised dots arranged in two parallel rows each having three dots. The dot positions are
identified by numbers from one through six. Sixty-four combinations are possible using one or
more of these six dots. A single cell can be used to represent an alphabet letter, number,
punctuation mark, or even a whole word.

We have developed a system which resembles the braille cells, i.e., containing six
buttons placed in two columns of three rows, blind child can press the buttons to learn basic
Alphabets like A, B, and even they can press to form words like CAT, DOG, and many more. Our
device provides an audio assistant which provides appropriate sound of the alphabet when they
type. They have privilege to type many characters to form a word and appropriate word will be
pronounced through audio to them. Our device is novel device which helps blind children to learn
wherever they are by providing audio assistant which corrects them in learning alphabets and
words by themselves.

1.2. Review of work already done:

Most of the devices available in the market are for reading a single letter, image
capturing, reading a whole sentence through audio assistant. But yet a low-cost Braille system is
not available in the market for visually impaired individuals belonging to developing countries
which can teach the Braille writing and reading skills to visually impaired people without the need
of a Braille teacher. Various systems have been proposed for making possible to represent alphabet
letters, accentuated letters, punctuation, numbers, and even musical notes. Despite the
overwhelming emergence of accessible digital technologies, Braille still plays a role in providing
blind people with access to content. Nevertheless, many fail to see the benefits of nurturing Braille,

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particularly given the time and effort required to achieve proficiency. Our research focuses on
maximizing access and motivation to learn and use Braille. We present initial insights from 5
interviews with blind people, comprising of Braille instructors and students, where we characterize
the learning process and usage of Braille. Based on our findings, we have identified a set of
opportunities around Braille education. Moreover, we devised scenarios, and built hardware and
software solutions to motivate discovery and retention of Braille literacy.

1.3. Enhancement / Modification that can be done to various level.

Level 1: Our proposed system consists of consists of a device with buttons connected to
a laptop for processing via a microcontroller which will be at low cost for poor blind
children.

Level 2: We can enhance the device by adopting the processing features without need of
laptop which can be useful and compact and mobility will be good.

Level 3: Enhancement can be done by adding more devices to a centralised server where
teacher can monitor many children at remote places. EEG Headset is used to record data
in real time and a dedicated Server/ cloud service can be used store, assess and analyse the
data of the blind student’s learning process. This enhancement will cost much
approximately 15 lakhs INR depending upon number of students.

1.4. Rationale for taking up the project:

Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. In at
least 1 billion – or almost half – of these cases, vision impairment could have been
prevented or has yet to be addressed. This 1 billion people include those with moderate or
severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to unaddressed refractive error (88.4
million), cataract (94 million), glaucoma (7.7 million), corneal opacities (4.2 million),
diabetic retinopathy (3.9 million), and trachoma (2 million), as well as near vision
impairment caused by unaddressed presbyopia (826 million).
The situation observed in India is said to be different for two basic reasons.
Technology is not affordable by majority of the citizens specifically those who live in
rural/ remote areas. Lack of knowledge or little knowledge of Braille Script for English or
any other languages, which is required to be in pace with ever running technologies.

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 2. OBJECTIVES

2.1. Objectives of the project:

 To develop the portable Braille Device that allows blind child to press the buttons for
representing any character, number or string.
 To build an audio assistant system using speaker for pronouncing the pressed character,
number or string.
 To integrate both using Raspberry Pi.
 To read data from EEG head set while learning process is going on.(from each student)
make it as a data set.
 To assess the cognitive ability of the blind student based on the recorded data. (Machine
learning models can be used for classification of the data)

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 3. METHODOLOGY

Braille Keyboard: The keyboard consists of 3x2 matrix form with attached
buttons where user can press the characters, numbers, punctuations or strings in different
permutations and combinations depending upon the Braille script.

Raspberry Pi: The typed script is then passed to a device called Raspberry Pi, where the
text is converted into audio format. It also recognizes whether the typed braille script is
correct or not.

Speaker: After the processing using text to speech feature. The converted audio is listened

by user through speaker or headphones based on the input given.

COGNITIVE
ABILITY

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 • Instruction Mode: Instructs the user on the application installed into the kit in the
form of audio.
• Audio Mode: This mode enables the user to know various combinations of Braille
Dots of letters/words through audio output.
• Tactile Mode: This mode enables the user to enter the combination of various dots
allowing user to practice the things that are learnt in Audio Mode.
• Advanced Mode: Multi Line Braille Display to get tactile feedback.
• EEG Headset: EEG head can be used with 32 channel, 64 channel, 128 channels
and 256 channels. More the channels more will be the accuracy.

3.1 Diagrams/Designs/Flow charts:

Hardware: Raspberry Pi 3, Breadboard, Solenoid, Diode, Speakers, Push Buttons,

Resistor, Power Adaptor, EEG headset.

Communication: Bluetooth, USB, Speaker.

Operating System: Linux.

Software tools: Python and Embedded C

Fig 3.3.1: Sequence Diagram

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 4. EXPECTED OUTPUT OF THE PROJECT:
Our proposed system provides the audio assistant, which pronounces alphabet, number,
punctuations and strings typed or pressed by the user who will be visually impaired. Children can
use EEG head set while learning which will extract EEG data (in the form of signals/Frequency in
Hertz) which is used to identify, assess and enhance their cognitive ability. Based on their cognitive
skills they will get suitable jobs and recognition in the society.

5. WORK PLAN
Activities 1-3 4-7 8-11 12-16

Procurement of all components with fair

trails and developing the device with buttons.

Developing embedded c code for make the

device work including EEG head set.

Testing and Implementation in blind school

for data set generation.

If developing for many students then Server

has to be maintained and web application
has to be developed.

5.1. Social Benefits:

Pandemic has affected life of everyone, especially every child studying in schools.
Schools could use the facility of online classes using internet applications such as Zoom,
WebEx and Google meet, etc., but the problem with blind or visually impaired children who
couldn’t go to school and those living in remote areas didn’t have any opportunity to continue
their studies. So, we developed a device which can be used by any blind child at any remote
place. Though blind children learn Braille system, which we have developed a device with six
buttons similar to a character representing braille alphabet. Based on their cognitive skills they
will get suitable jobs and recognition in the society.

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2. Budget estimates: (for ONE device for a single student)

Sl. Items Amount in

No. Rs.

1. A laptop (Server) 2,00,000-00

Raspberry Pi
Buttons
Covering Kit
2. EEG Head SET 5,00,000-00

3. Travel (details required) 10,000-00

4. Labour cost 50,000-00

5. Miscellaneous 10,000-00

Total
7,70,000-00

Above Price quoted is for one device. We need create at least two devices to integrate and check
for integration testing of the whole system. For that approximately 15 Lakh INR will be required.
If we need to make it for a class room of moany students the budget will get increased with respect
to number of students.

LITERATURE SURVEY

[1] EEG-Based Detection Model for Evaluating and Improving Learning Attention. Journal of
Medical and Biological Engineering.

[2] Neurosky EEG Biosensor Using in Education. Article in International Journal of Applied
Mathematics Electronics and Computers, December 2016.

[3] Measuring and Evaluation of Attention and Meditation Level by Using Neurosky

Biosensor. Conference Paper · September 2017

[4] Relations of Attention and Meditation Level with Learning in Engineering Education.

Electrical-Electronics Engineering Department Bursa Technical University Bursa, Turkey.

[5] Students’ Attention Assessment in eLearning based on Machine Learning. School of

Software & Internet of Things Engineering, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics,
Nanchang 330013, Jiangxi.

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 Proposed Idea has been awarded as Best innovative project idea “Dr.
Shivakumar award” by KSTA (Karnataka Science and Technology
Academy) in 2022 at UG level.

Novelty of our proposed system

After all the Exhaustive Literature survey, there are only few gadgets are available to
help blind children for self-learning or learning through a teacher from remote places.
But our model is hybrid embeds the EEG headset to extract data and used to identify,
assess and improve the cognitive abilities of the blind student.

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