UNS – A team of three lecturers from Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Surakarta, has developed an innovative Braille duplicator machine to support learning materials for visually impaired individuals. Their creation, called “SpideSmart,” earned first place in the Assistive Technology Development competition held by the Higher Education Services Agency (LLDIKTI) under Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology.

Dr. Subagya, M.Si., and Donni Prakosha, M.Pd., lecturers from the Special Education Program at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) UNS, collaborated with Dr. Yulianto Agung Rezeki, S.Pd., M.Si., from the Physics Education Program, to design and produce the SpideSmart machine.

“This idea has been in my mind for 25 years. SpideSmart, which is a thermocopy machine, combines the word ‘spide,’ meaning spider or surveillance, because its components resemble a spider and are designed to assist individuals with visual impairments. Additionally, ‘Spide’ represents the initials of our names—Subagya, Yulianto Agung, and Donni Prakosha—while ‘Smart’ reflects both intelligence and our institution, Sebelas Maret,” Dr. Subagya explained to uns.ac.id on Wednesday (18/12/2024).

While advancements in technology have facilitated the reproduction of Braille text, challenges remain in duplicating Braille-based images or graphics. Conventional Braille printers often struggle with entry difficulties, unrepresentative results, and limitations to 63 Braille dot combinations. Addressing this gap, the team’s research aimed to develop a cost-effective duplicator for Braille or tactile graphics.

“Printers for Braille text already exist, but they are limited to reproducing letters. For creating graphics and images, a technology like SpideSmart is essential. During the development process, we faced challenges such as material and resource availability, but we successfully overcame them,” Dr. Subagya added.

The team’s innovation reduces production costs significantly, with SpideSmart’s manufacturing cost at approximately IDR 15 million, compared to imported printers, which can cost up to IDR 120 million. Dr. Subagya hopes UNS will commercialize the assistive technology, benefiting a broader audience, particularly special needs schools.

“I hope this technology can be commercialized and mass-produced by UNS to benefit society at large. If there’s an opportunity for commercialization, UNS could collaborate with capable companies to establish partnerships. This approach would also enhance the university’s branding,” Dr. Subagya said.

The team’s work has been published in the Scopus Q2-ranked International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation (IJERI), showcasing their significant contribution to improving the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and special needs. By supporting inclusivity in education, this assistive technology aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, “Good Health and Well-being,” and SDG 4, “Quality Education.” HUMAS UNS