Technical development of an electromechanical braille labeler

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2009.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-37).The work presented in this thesis concerns the development of an electromechanical device that prints labels in braille. For blind and visually impaired people, differentiating between similarly-shaped objects - CDs, medication bottles, food cans, etc. - is a challenge that can be solved by affixing braille labels to the surface of these items. However, the existing technology for making braille labels is either fully manual and slow, or too large to be portable. As a result of this identified need, the first prototype of a braille labeler was developed in the fall of 2008. However, several outstanding mechanical and design issues remained. During this thesis, the first prototype was tested with focus groups to identify these issues. These included the lack of a cutting mechanism for the tape, the uncomfortable shape and size of the device, and the ease of manufacturing of some components. A second prototype was designed and built, resolving these problems.by Adelaide S. Calbry-Muzyka.S.B

Energy System Integration (ESI) Platform 2014–2021

On the ESI platform (ESI stands for «Energy System Integration»), PSI, in collaboration with partners from industry and research, develops and demonstrates processes that enable a CO2-neutral energy system. The focus is on energy conversion processes that make additional biomass usable for the energy system, or render electricity from fluctuating renewable energy sources storable and accessible for other markets such as mobility on land, sea and air