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Perkins SMART Brailler ™

SMART BraillerBuy Now $2,195.00

Why the SMART Brailler ™

  • Accelerates Learning: 
    Encourages multi-sensory learning through visual, tactile and auditory feedback, increasing the student’s ability to process new information and making learning fun.
  • Lightens the Load: 
    Weighs 20 percent less than the classic Perkins Brailler, making it easy to transport between home and classroom.
  • Integrates with Mainstream Technology: 
    Edits, saves and transfers brailled documents to digital text files via USB, letting sighted teachers or parents read the document on a computer.
  • Involves Non-Braille Users:
    Enables better collaboration between students and sighted teachers or parents using Roman letters on the display screen to mirror what is being brailled.
  • Reliable Support:
    One year warranty and repair service training availability, ensuring that any problem with your product is resolved quickly.

Review our product comparisons guide

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Features & Specs

  • Full right and left margin adjustments to accommodate any paper size and line centering
  • Round paper-feed knobs to enable easy paper loading and unloading
  • Metal carrying handle
  • Fast response time between typing and output
  • Ergonomic Design for ease of typing
  • Audible bell sound seven spaces before end of line
  • Carriage release, full horizontal movement between margin stops
  • Braille output conforms to American National Library Service for the Blind Size and Spacing Standard
  • Includes user manual in both print and braille
  • Includes leather dust cover
  • Extension keys available for purchase
  • Operational manual printed in English language and braille
  • Weight: 8.5 lb (3.9 kg)
  • Dimensions: 14 in L x 5.5 in W x 9.5 in H (34 cm L x 15 cm W x 24 cm H)
  • Cells per line: 28
  • Lines per page: 26
  • Screen size: 4.3 in (10.9 cm)
  • Resolution: 480 X 272 pixels
  • Available in Midnight Blue, Raspberry Red, Blue (APH only)
  • Available Languages: Unified English Braille, English, UK English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, Swedish, Polish, Turkish, Arabic and Portuguese

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Product Care & Repair

How to properly maintain your SMART Brailler

The goal of keeping your brailler maintained is to keep them in good, working condition for many years to come. Simple steps to keep your brailler in top working order:

  • Store your brailler in a clean dry environment; humid and moist conditions can accelerate corrosion of the metal components.
  • Check to make sure you have the latest software.
  • Handle with care, as the exterior plastic can break under extreme conditions.
  • Clean the exterior of your brailler on a regular basis using a lint free cloth and soft bristle brush.
  • Always keep your brailler covered when not in use; doing this will keep dust and debris from entering your brailler and avoid premature loss of motion (sluggish action) to the keys and carriage assembly.
  • Send your brailler in to a certified Perkins repair center for regular service; we recommend every 3 – 5 years under normal use. For braillers that are heavily used or exposed to harsh environmental conditions, service more frequently.
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Manuals & Downloads

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FAQs

How do I get started creating files for what I Braille?

  • From the Braille Entry screen, push the small circular menu button, use the down nav key to select File, then New file. You will be returned to the “Braille Entry” screen and whatever text is brailled into the first line will become the filename.

How do I save files?

  • There are two ways to save files. To save a file on the internal drive of the SMART Brailler, press the Main Menu button (the small green button on the upper left side of the navigation buttons), then scroll down by using the 'down' navigation button to 'File'. Select 'File', and then select 'Internal Files'. Once the 'Internal File' menu is opened, select 'Save File'. The name will be stored as the first few letters of the document.
  • To save a file to a USB drive, first insert the USB into the USB port on the right side of the display. Go to the Main Menu button, then scroll down by using the ‘down’ navigation button to 'File'. Select 'File', and then select 'USB Files'. This will bring you to the USB Files Menu. Select 'Save File'. The name will be stored as the first few letters of the document.

How do I erase a mistake? How does the erase feature work with the display screen?

  • Use the Backspace key 2 times to position the black button of the erase assembly over the correct cell on the paper. When you press that black button down to flatten the paper it will also be erased from the electronic file and display screen and confirmed via TTS voice saying the letter and “erased”

I want to make a change to a previous line in my file when I’m already on a line further down the page.

  • On the SMART Brailler, you can only go back and edit the current line you are on. Once you hit the Line Space key the only way to edit the line is by saving the file to a USB and editing the file on a computer. New lines can be appended to an existing file, but no previous lines can be edited on the SMART Brailler itself.

How do I transfer files from a SMART Brailler to a PC?

  • The files saved by a SMART Brailler are .txt text files that can be opened on any computer and edited there by any text editing software. If you want to transfer them back to the SMART Brailler, you need to make sure the output is a *.txt file. The SMART Brailler doesn’t open Microsoft Word doc files, you need to “save as” a *.txt file from Word if you want it to be read by the SMART Brailler.

How do I transfer files from a PC to a SMART Brailler?

  • The files must be .txt text files to be read and opened by the SMART Brailler.

How do I change the language back from one that I don’t read/understand?

  • No matter what language the SB has been saved in, you can switch it back to English by hitting the circular menu button and then counting down to the 4th menu option from the top (Settings in English), then selecting the top menu option from the next menu (Voice in English), then selecting the top option from the next menu (American English).

I am having problems charging my SMART Brailler.

  • If you are having problems charging your SMART Brailler, and it was purchased between July of 2014 and January of 2015, please telephone us at 1-617-972-7308 so we can solve the problem for you.

Why does the battery not display 100% even if I have been charging the battery for a long time?

  • The SMART Brailler only shows battery power in increments of 25%: 25, 50, 75, and 100. 100% is only shown if the actual raw battery reading is above 94%. So the battery could be 94% charged while still showing 75% on the screen. The number isn’t as important as the actual battery life you get while using the SMART Brailler, which is at least 1 day of teaching use.

How do I change the screen color?

  • Go to Menu/Settings/Color and select a color combination that is preferred.

Can I use the Guest user or do I have to create a new user?

  • The Guest user is intended to allow you to get started quickly and can be used all the time if you wish. We have ability to add users so that each user can save their own files and settings without disturbing other users preferences. If the SB isn’t shared, there is no real reason not to use the Guest account all the time.

Where can I get an introduction to what the buttons on the SMART Brailler do?

  • Use the Audio Tour that can be accessed from the startup Welcome Menu by using the down navigation button on the right side of the display screen.

How can I tell which version of software is loaded onto my SMART Brailler?

  • It is useful to know what version of software is on your SMART Brailler so you can determine if an update is necessary. You can do this by hitting Menu button, then selecting Settings/System/System Info and scrolling down to the App Version on the last line. This should give you a number to record and report.

What is recommended format for starting a new Braille file?

  • The first line of the file becomes the filename, so you should Braille a name and date that will allow you to tell the difference between all of your files/assignments.

How do I extend the battery life?

  • There are a number of ways to extend the battery life. The biggest power drain is the screen on the front of the SMART Brailler. You can turn off the screen by pressing the top Quick Start Button on the left side of the screen. Or, turn the brailler off entirely by pushing the On/Off button on the bottom right of the brailler. Other options are:
    • Adjust the brightness by going to the Main Menu button, press ‘Settings’, select ‘Brightness’, and then adjust the brightness downward.
    • Adjust the Screen Timer to dim the screen after a shorter time than by default. Select Meny/Settings/Power/Battery/Screen Timer and choose a shorter option.

When I Braille past the 28th cell on a line, the cursor on the display screen jumps back to position 4. Is this a problem?

  • Some SMART Braillers have a “29th” cell due to mechanical tolerances. With these units, brailling past the end of the line can create a situation where the SMART Brailler cursor “jumps” back to position 4. This is not a problem, using the BS key once will put the cursor back on cell 28, and hitting LS key and moving carriage to the left will also solve this visual issue.
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