Teacher Mary McCarthy using the Perkin SMART Brailler to teach braille to Madison, 6, at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass. | Photo by Anna Miller

Danzel, 9, uses the new Perkins SMART Brailler to learn braille with his teacher, Mary McCarthy, at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass. | Photo by Anna Miller

Engineers at Lake Zurich-based Product Development Technologies led the design of the newest SMART Brailler, the next-generation machine in teaching people to Braille. | Photo by Anna Miller

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are (L to R) Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are (L to R) Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are (L to R) Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are (L to R) Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, Frank Pistorio, model maker, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are (L to R) Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, Frank Pistorio, model maker, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

Braille is printed on a sheet of paper. The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

Braille is printed on a sheet of paper. The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

Braille is printed on a sheet of paper. The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times

The original Braille typewritter sits behind the new version. The first computer-focused update of the Braille reader for the blind, called the Smart Brailler, has been designed at a local company, Product Development Technologies (PDT). The main people working on the project are Frank Pistorio, model maker, Lisa Yanz, senior industrial designer, and Will Capellaro, user experience designer. Photographed on August 1, 2012. | Richard A. Chapman~Sun-Times