A group of undergraduates at Johns Hopkins University have created a device that promises to be the biggest thing to happen to Braille since Hellen Keller.Their pen-like system utilizes a system of buttons that, when pressed in the proper combinations, punch Braille letters into a slotted plastic sheet. Because it is made of low-cost plastics, it is expected that a mass production model could cost as little as $10.

You know, until I saw this thing, it never occurred to me that such a device didn’t already exist. I imagine that if this were to go into production, it’d have a hugely positive impact on Braille writing and on the blind community.

Inexpensive Hand-Held Braille Writer Devised by Undergraduates [via OhGizmo!]