How to Make a Braille Literacy Assistant Using Arduino

/* 
This uses the Adafruit motorshield and the Text to Speech sheeld
---->	http://www.adafruit.com/products/1438
*/

#define CUSTOM_SETTINGS
#define INCLUDE_TEXT_TO_SPEECH_SHIELD
#include <OneSheeld.h>
#include <Wire.h>
#include <Adafruit_MotorShield.h>
#define numChars 26
static int chars[numChars] = {
  0x10,
  0x30,
  0x11,
  0x13,
  0x12,
  0x31,
  0x33,
  0x32,
  0x21,
  0x23,
  0x50,
  0x70,
  0x51,
  0x53,
  0x52,
  0x71,
  0x73,
  0x72,
  0x61,
  0x63,
  0x54,
  0x74,
  0x27,
  0x55,
  0x57,
  0x56
};

// Create the motor shield object with the default I2C address
Adafruit_MotorShield AFMS = Adafruit_MotorShield(); 
// Or, create it with a different I2C address (say for stacking)
// Adafruit_MotorShield AFMS = Adafruit_MotorShield(0x61); 

// Connect a stepper motor with 200 steps per revolution (1.8 degree)
// to motor port #2 (M3 and M4)
Adafruit_StepperMotor *myMotorR = AFMS.getStepper(200, 1);
Adafruit_StepperMotor *myMotorL = AFMS.getStepper(200, 2);

  int curCharL= 0x1;
  int curCharR = 0x0; // start at a/1
  int nextCharL, nextCharR;

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(9600);           // set up Serial library at 9600 bps
  Serial.println("Stepper test!");
  Serial.println("Starting");
  OneSheeld.begin();
  AFMS.begin();  // create with the default frequency 1.6KHz
  //AFMS.begin(1000);  // OR with a different frequency, say 1KHz

  myMotorL->setSpeed(10);
  myMotorR->setSpeed(10);  // 10 rpm   
  curCharL= 0x1;
  curCharR = 0x0; // start at a/1

}


void printChar(char val) {

  int dirL, stepsL, dirR, stepsR;
  int index;
  index = val - 'a';
  Serial.println("Printing left/right braille");
    //Serial.println(val);
    //val = 'a'+i;
    Serial.print("Letter ");
    Serial.println(val);
    
  nextCharL = (chars[index] & 0xf0) >> 4;
  Serial.println(curCharL);
    Serial.println(nextCharL);
    if((nextCharL - curCharL) >= 0) {
      if((nextCharL-curCharL) > (curCharL+8-nextCharL)) {
        stepsL = (curCharL+8-nextCharL)*200/8;
        dirL = BACKWARD;
      } else {
        stepsL = (nextCharL-curCharL)*200/8;
        dirL = FORWARD;
      }
    } else {
      if((curCharL-nextCharL) > (nextCharL+8-curCharL)) {
        stepsL = (nextCharL+8-curCharL)*200/8;
        dirL = FORWARD;
      } else {
        stepsL = (curCharL-nextCharL)*200/8;
        dirL = BACKWARD;
      }   
    }
    //stepsL = (nextCharL-curCharL) >= 0? (nextCharL-curCharL)*200/8 : (curCharL - nextCharL)*200/8;
    //dirL = (nextCharL - curCharL) >= 0? FORWARD : BACKWARD;
    
    //stepsL = (stepsL > 100) ? 200-stepsL : stepsL;
    Serial.print("Steps left=");
    Serial.println(stepsL);
    Serial.print("Dir left=");
    Serial.println(dirL);
    
    
    nextCharR = (chars[index] & 0x0f);
    Serial.println(curCharR);
    Serial.println(nextCharR);
    if((nextCharR - curCharR) >= 0) {
      if((nextCharR-curCharR) > (curCharR+8-nextCharR)) {
        stepsR = (curCharR+8-nextCharR)*200/8;
        dirR = BACKWARD;
      } else {
        stepsR = (nextCharR-curCharR)*200/8;
        dirR = FORWARD;
      }
    } else {
      if((curCharR-nextCharR) > (nextCharR+8-curCharR)) {
        stepsR = (nextCharR+8-curCharR)*200/8;
        dirR = FORWARD;
      } else {
        stepsR = (curCharR-nextCharR)*200/8;
        dirR = BACKWARD;
      }   
    }
    //stepsR = (nextCharR-curCharR) >= 0? (nextCharR-curCharR)*200/8 : (curCharR - nextCharR)*200/8;
    //dirR = (nextCharR - curCharR) >= 0? FORWARD : BACKWARD;
    Serial.print("Steps right=");
    Serial.println(stepsR);
    Serial.print("Dir right=");
    Serial.println(dirR);

    myMotorR->step(stepsR, dirR, SINGLE);
    myMotorL->step(stepsL, dirL, SINGLE); 
    curCharR = nextCharR;
    curCharL = nextCharL;
}

void loop() {


  char buf[] ="this is a simple string to read for braille";
  int numWords = 0;
  char *p = strtok (buf, " ");


  while (p != NULL) {
    TextToSpeech.say(p);
    int k=0;
    while(p[k] != '\0') {
      //TextToSpeech.say(p[k]);
      printChar(tolower(p[k]));
      k++;
    }
    p = strtok (NULL, " ");
  }
  delay(1000);
  //exit(0);
  


}