NewHaptics Awarded NSF SBIR Phase II Grant to Develop Microfluidic Technology for a Multiline Braille and Graphical Tactile Display

Award supports advancement of microfluidic technology in pursuit of developing an affordable refreshable braille and tactile graphics display for blind people

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — NewHaptics, an innovative tactile display technology company, announced today it has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). This $1M grant is the fourth SBIR award received by NewHaptics to date and supports the company’s continued progress towards delivering a multiline refreshable braille display for the blind at an accessible price point.

This assistive technology will enable increased access to braille in digital form and enable blind people to read and interact with digitized spatial content including mathematical equations, graphs, and maps. It supports NewHaptics’ mission to improve information access for people who are blind and enable them to reach information parity with their sighted counterparts, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The device, along with its supporting software, will help remove barriers to collaboration in classrooms and workplaces and in document preparation in the workplace. Achieving this will increase braille literacy, create opportunities to enter careers in STEM, and ultimately help support the employment success and independence of people who are blind.