VISM

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Inspiration

Any person writing music uses music notation software. Music software to composers is like an IDE to a programmer. Currently programs like MuseScore, which allow artist to share their sheet music to the world, are not inclusive to the visually impaired. As a result, those lacking sight are forced to purchase expensive, slow, and outdated software such as GOODFEEL ($1595 per liscense) or pay an expert to manually trancribe their sheet music. To solve this problem we have created VISM, a software that automates the process of transcription from sheet music to Braille. With VISM people can now print out Braille sheet music at no cost.

What it does

Integrates with music notation software like MuseScore to generate braille-ready files, alongside MIDI and PDF files, to accommodate for the visually impaired. In short, it automates the process of creating sheet music for the visually impaired without the hassle of hiring transcribers.

How we built it

We began with a MuseScore file, which we were able to convert into a MusicXML file. We parsed the MusicXML file and generated a braille-ready file, which supports braille dots, Unicode, and braille glyphs, alongside a MIDI file and PDF.

Challenges we ran into

The first challenge we faced was the complexity of learning how to read braille sheet music. We also found a serious lack of documentation for the braille-ready file (BRF) type. There was also some difficulty dealing with the various braille character formats, some of which did not output to files correctly. Finally, actually printing a BRF file requires a license from Duxbury, the creators of BRF who essentially have a monopoly on the format. This challenge could be solved by purchasing one copy of the license and placing it onto a virtual server, which could then be accessed by as many computes as desired.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are able to generate braille entirely from sheet music, essentially automating the process of transcribing music for the visually impaired.

What we learned

In creating VISM, various members of our team had to learn concepts which they were entirely unfamiliar with, such as how to read braille sheet music, how to generate BRF files, how to work with different braille character types, and how to work with library applications.

What's next for VISM

Our plan for the future of VISM is first to move the platform to a remote server with access to Duxbury licenses, as well as continuing to increase precision of our braille sheet music transcription process.

Built With

• css
• html
• python
• shell