Shubham Banerjee was n’t reckon to invent a find technology when he begin potter with a LEGO robotics dress last year — the then-12 - year - old was just trying to progress a science fair task . But Banerjee ’s LEGO Braille printer is a potential biz changer for the unsighted community ; while most printer cost around $ 2,000 , Banerjee has reduced that price tag to a mere $ 200 .
According toSmithsonian , Banerjee stumbled upon some unsettling statistics just as he was starting to brainstorm project ideas , learning that fewer that 10 percent of 1.3 million blind Americans can read Braille , and that for many , Braille materials are simply inaccessible . Banerjee decided to try on to build up a round-eyed but operable Braille printing machine , and spend weeks muck about with his LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit — an advancedLEGO kitusually used to build humanlike robot toys .
When he presented the ruined printer at the 2014 Synopsis Science Fair for students in Santa Clara , Calif. , he not only took home the top prize , but the attention of Henry Wedler , a PhD candidate in organic chemistry at the University of California , Davis . Wedler , who was born blind , was extremely impressed by Banerjee ’s project , and decide to attempt to help him market it .
“ artificer have been attempting to do what Shubham has done with Braille embossers for many years , " Wedler toldSmithsonian . " Sometimes , it takes a young , fresh imagination and a will of iron to be truly innovative . This is the energy and quality that Shubham ’s knowledge and passion as an inventor play to Silicon Valley . ”
Wedler is now an advisor to Banerjee ’s raw society , Braigo Labs , which is a portmanteau of the words “ Braille ” and “ LEGO . ” Banerjee , who also received funding from Intel Capital , is still work on further educate the printer , but hopes to make it commercially available soon . When he ’s not tinkering with the Braigo printing machine , Banerjee spends his time playing football and navigate the challenges of the 9th grade . When ask whether his friends see him differently now that he ’s an discoverer with his own fellowship , Banerjee replied , “ They ’re pretty chill . ”
[ h / t : Smithsonian ]
