aIDEAS is proud to sponsor and support BrailleBelt. BrailleBelt is a project initiated by Anne Jenkins, Frankie Leung & Peter Budge from The Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge.

The Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET) course provides the best engineering students with management competence, business acumen, interpersonal and organizational skills.

RNIB figures (2003) estimate that there are 191,000 blind people in the UK and of these 3-5% read Braille.  The idea dawned on the group to make a product that would completely liberate a blind person by accessing any written information that a sighted person can.

The BrailleBelt was conceived - a portable nifty device, as well designed as any mobile or PDA commonly used by the sighted. A device that captures text, translates it, and outputs Braille in wherever location it is used - the perfect reading aid companion, reading any text, any time and anywhere. 

BrailleBelt:

• provides an affordable, portable Braille output machine
• has low overhead to generate and read Braille
• is pocket portable
• feels and looks good
• is computer compatible- allowing storage of data & variable speed  

Key elements of BrailleBelt over competitors include portability, usability, style and economics. Dr Martin Sabry (aIDEAS Founder) said "it was a privilege to be approached by such innovative and imaginative students. The aIDEAS team relished the opportunity to support and collaborate with BrailleBelt."

BrailleBelt was unveiled at the MET Design Show on Wednesday 6^th June 2007.