Article from EDUPAGE:

NIST UNVEILS DEVICE FOR BLIND TO UNDERSTAND IMAGES
Functioning like a sophisticated, novelty-store "bed of nails," a new
device developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
(NIST) allows the blind and visually impaired to "see" images. The
device has 3,600 pins, about 10 per square inch, that are raised and
lowered to mimic images, allowing users to feel what the image looks
like. Officials from the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), which
will test the device, praised it, saying that it has the potential to
empower blind people in ways that were previously unavailable. Other
devices function similarly but cost around $40,000, said John Roberts
of NIST. Early versions of the new device should cost about $2,000, and
the price should drop later, he said. A representative of the NFB said
the device could prove especially beneficial for educational purposes
because of the wide gap between written and image-based information.
United Press International, 24 October 2002 (registration req'd)
http//www.nandotimes.com/technology/story/590039p-4591647c.html

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