Approved Tech Everyscreen Datapad

[Zee Caromed]

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Brings the utility and functionality of a datapad into the hands of persons without conventional sight.
• Can display in any combination of tactile, infrared, and electrical modes as well as traditional OLED.
• Sturdy design principles and common components ensure a low cost of manufacture and repair.
• Design brief and instructions available openly on the Holonet.

STRENGTHS

• The tactile screen layer allows the display of complicated images and characters in higher resolution than most comparable (portable) technologies.
• The Heatmap membrane and Shockview panel work on redundant technologies, cutting down on overall cost.
• Simple design philosophies and principles make the device extremely accessible - most decently equipped workshops can construct or repair this device.
• Sturdy construction - the device is made to last, with a rugged case to protect the components within from being damaged by a drop or brief encounters with water.
• Electronic components have been selected to handle the processing needs of the accessibility features. Without those in use, the Everyscreen is a surprisingly powerful slicing tool.

WEAKNESSES

• Compared to the weight of conventional datapads [typically .6-75kg], it is quite heavy [1.3kg], making it somewhat unwieldy to use.
• Most of the electrical components have been chosen with cost or overlap with other systems in mind. Damage to one part of the internal pieces tends to cause a cascade of failure.
• The battery has been overspecc'd to compensate for the power-hungry components. It has comparable battery life, but a long charge time by comparison.
• Software and OS are maintained as part of a larger open-source community effort, which can make security patches and support somewhat unreliable.

DESCRIPTION
The Everyscreen was drafted up after a conversation with a Miraluka who was using a modular electronic display to read on a datapad. After discussing how she viewed and struggled with screens and displays, Zee Caromed spoke with several other Miraluka to assess their needs and then drafted up a device intending to serve that need - as well as other people in the galaxy who are blind or have nonstandard vision. The Everyscreen was his solution for people who'd like the ability to have a portable screen but may not have access to or knowledge of options.

Core to the Everyscreen are the three layers of technology between the OLED and the electronic components. None of them can be removed without rendering the device esssentially nonfunctional. The software is designed in such a way to allow the user to prioritize one over the others based on their individual needs.

1. Underneath the conventional OLED screen is a series of thousands of small metal beads, which can be lifted or lowered up to 5mm in either direction by an electronic signal to produce a tactcile image. The metal beads also provide structure and protection to the components beneath. They are sheathed in small chutes and designed to be easily replacable, preventing unsolvable dead pixels that such devices are known to struggle with.
2. The heatmap membrane between the tactile screen above and the shockview panel beneath serves as an insulating layer. to both It is also able to dispaly images in heat or infrared as needed. If the heat-based options are the primary need of the user, the metal beads on the first layer are able to conduct the 'screen' upwards for a higher resolution image when not use for tactile images.
3. The shockview panel beneath the first two layers serves the dual purpose of providing simple imaging and readability for persons who see best through the electromagnetic spectrum. If this panel is the primary need of the user, the metal beads on the first layer are able to conduct the 'screen' upwards for a hgiher resolution image when not used for tactile images.

The processing power and components required to serve these three layers accounts for most of the weight of the Everyscreen. The software to allow them to function is distributed via an open-source community effort on the Holonet. The battery is larger than most commercial-grade datapads, to give the Everyscreen comparable battery life at the cost of added weight and bulk. As with most devices used for communication, the Everyscreen can be used to make and receive holocalls - though typically it is set down on a surface for any call longer than a few minutes. If the accessibility tools are not in use, the processing power required to use them is freed up - which allows the Everyscreen to be a fairly potent portable computing device.

The Everyscreen's case is designed to allow for the use of slings, straps, and handles to mitigate the weight and bulk of the datapad. It is compatible with most non-proprietary peripherals, and community efforts to expand the compatibility of the Everyscreen are underway.

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[MANIAC]

Zee Caromed

It is cool!

Approved.