Mountbatten Brailler
Encyclopedia
The Mountbatten Brailler is an electronic machine used to write braille
. The Mountbatten incorporates the traditional "braille typewriter keyboard" of the Perkins Brailler
with modern technology, giving it a number of additional features such as word processing, audio feedback and embossing
. The machine was pioneered and developed at the United Kingdom
's Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford
by Ernest Bate,.
Initially the Mountbatten was manufactured in Australia
. On January 1 2010 manufacture of the Mountbatten was taken over by Polish company Harpo Sp. z o. o.
The Mountbatten was developed after Lord Mountbatten
left a bequest in his will for the development of a modern, low cost, portable brailler. It has been available since 1991.
Like the Perkins, the Mountbatten has a key corresponding to each of the six dots of the braille
code. By simultaneously pressing different combinations of the six keys, users can create any of the characters in the Braille code. In addition to these six keys, the Mountbatten has a space key, a backspace key, and a new line key. Like a manual typewriter
, it has a knob to advance paper through the machine, although unlike the Perkins the bar does not move. There is a Return key
rather than a carriage return lever. The rollers that hold and advance the paper have grooves designed to avoid crushing the raised dots the brailler creates.
In addition to the traditional keyboard, the Mountbatten has several other features. These include memory which allows braille text files to be stored in much the same way as is done with a word processor
, speech feedback allowing the user to listen to the text he or she has just typed or from files, and forward and back translation between text and braille. The Mountbatten can be connected to a printer allowing files to be printed as text, while a regular PC keyboard can be connected to the Mountbatten enabling text to be produced as contracted or uncontracted Braille.
There are several models of the Mountbatten; the basic Mountbatten Writer, the Mountbatten Writer Plus, the Mountbatten Pro, and the Mountbatten Learning System.
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
. The Mountbatten incorporates the traditional "braille typewriter keyboard" of the Perkins Brailler
Perkins Brailler
The Perkins Brailler is a "braille typewriter" with a key corresponding to each of the six dots of the braille code, a space key, a backspace key, and a line space key. Like a manual typewriter, it has two side knobs to advance paper through the machine and a carriage return lever above the keys...
with modern technology, giving it a number of additional features such as word processing, audio feedback and embossing
Braille embosser
A Braille embosser is a printer, necessarily an impact printer, that renders text as tactile Braille cells. Using Braille translation software, a document can be embossed with relative ease, making Braille production much more efficient and cost-effective....
. The machine was pioneered and developed at the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's Royal National College for the Blind in Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
by Ernest Bate,.
Initially the Mountbatten was manufactured in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. On January 1 2010 manufacture of the Mountbatten was taken over by Polish company Harpo Sp. z o. o.
The Mountbatten was developed after Lord Mountbatten
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
left a bequest in his will for the development of a modern, low cost, portable brailler. It has been available since 1991.
Like the Perkins, the Mountbatten has a key corresponding to each of the six dots of the braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
code. By simultaneously pressing different combinations of the six keys, users can create any of the characters in the Braille code. In addition to these six keys, the Mountbatten has a space key, a backspace key, and a new line key. Like a manual typewriter
Typewriter
A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical device with keys that, when pressed, cause characters to be printed on a medium, usually paper. Typically one character is printed per keypress, and the machine prints the characters by making ink impressions of type elements similar to the pieces...
, it has a knob to advance paper through the machine, although unlike the Perkins the bar does not move. There is a Return key
Enter key
In computer keyboards, the enter key in most cases causes a command line, window form, or dialog box to operate its default function...
rather than a carriage return lever. The rollers that hold and advance the paper have grooves designed to avoid crushing the raised dots the brailler creates.
In addition to the traditional keyboard, the Mountbatten has several other features. These include memory which allows braille text files to be stored in much the same way as is done with a word processor
Word processor
A word processor is a computer application used for the production of any sort of printable material....
, speech feedback allowing the user to listen to the text he or she has just typed or from files, and forward and back translation between text and braille. The Mountbatten can be connected to a printer allowing files to be printed as text, while a regular PC keyboard can be connected to the Mountbatten enabling text to be produced as contracted or uncontracted Braille.
There are several models of the Mountbatten; the basic Mountbatten Writer, the Mountbatten Writer Plus, the Mountbatten Pro, and the Mountbatten Learning System.
External links
- Mountbatten Brailler website
- Harpo Sp. z o. o., manufacturer of the Mountbatten Brailler
- Quantum Technology, previous manufacturer of the Mountbatten Brailler
- Mountbatten Brailler, Royal National College for the Blind