Braille translator

As a Braille translation program refers to software that is able to distinguish between a Braille (usually a braille ) and other writing systems translate.

While the translation into Braille has the greater importance, there is also the translation of braille in black font, like the font of the sighted is mentioned in this context.

History

1955 - 1957 John Cleave created as part of his dissertation at London's Birkbeck College the possibility of automatic conversion of texts in Braille (Braille). The text had to be on tape, because at this time the automatic text recognition was not yet advanced enough.

Mathematicians of the company IBM intervened in 1959 on the results and implemented on an IBM 704 for the American Printing House for the Blind (APH ) the possibility of automatic Braille translation. The program has been used exclusively by APH to produce Punzierplatten. This first use of computer- aided Punzierens is to be regarded as a pioneer performance. In order to store books, magnetic tapes were used.

In 1970, the braille translation program DOTSYS III on the market that was portable to different computer systems. The program was public domain and could therefore form the basis for several subsequent programs, including the program, the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London under the name DOTSYS (later ITS) further developed the program Braille master of IBM and the Duxbury Braille Translator. The earliest users included together with sighted beschulte Blind in Atlanta ( Georgia).

The first developed for a broader market Braille translation program, the Duxbury Braille Translator came 1976 on the market.

On an automatic translation into the German braille one worked since the early 1970s. In the late 1980s came the program Hagen Braille software system (HBS ) on the market, which is used today primarily in German braille printers.

The Windows program RTFC controls the translation into braille (also part shorthand ) since version 5.1 which was released in 2001. The back-translation, ie the translation of braille in black font, was added at RTFC 2007, the e-book and DAISY Standard 2008 2009.

Today there are both local and web-based ways of braille transmission ( RoboBraille ).