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Introducing the Mantis Q40, Not Just a Braille Display and Keyboard, Wednesday, Sept 16, 2026

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Good afternoon Techstravaganza friends,

Have a listen to this afternoon’s amazing tutorial, (a tour of the Mantis Q40), at the following link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0mCbD827z5s9nJTZO6y4MC

Show Notes

Mantis Q40 Audio and Connectivity Setup

Siena explained and demonstrated how the Mantis Q40 handles audio output, given its lack of a built-in speaker.

  • Details
    • Siena: Confirmed the Mantis Q40 does not have an internal speaker, unlike the original Brailliant. Audio must be routed through a paired Bluetooth device such as a mixer or headset.
    • Siena: Demonstrated connecting the Mantis to a sound mixer via Bluetooth, enabling speech output to be heard on the call.
    • Amanda: Noted she had never used the speech feature on the Mantis before.
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed the audio was very clear, almost like being in the same room.
  • Conclusion
    • The Mantis Q40 requires a Bluetooth audio device for speech output; Siena used a mixer as a workaround and noted this would also allow her to use the device for audiobook listening.

Braille Usage Preferences: Contracted vs. Uncontracted Braille

A discussion arose among participants about their personal preferences for contracted versus uncontracted braille.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Stated he prefers uncontracted (Grade 1) braille because having all letters spelled out helps him differentiate characters more easily, particularly contractions that look similar (e.g., K, ST, CH characters).
    • Ali Moosa: Gave the example of the word “still” being represented by just the ST character in contracted braille, which can cause confusion when reading quickly.
    • Amanda: Acknowledged the similarity between certain contracted braille characters and agreed the preference made sense.
    • Siena: Also noted a preference for Grade 1 braille when reading on a computer.
    • Ali Moosa: Added that he no longer uses hard copy braille and does not own a Perkins Brailler anymore.
    • Siena: Mentioned she still has a Perkins Brailler but it does not work; she only uses hard copy braille when brailling something for someone else.
    • Lily: Pointed out that password-protected devices and screen curtain make digital notes just as private as braille notes, removing a key reason to use a Perkins Brailler for confidential notes.
    • Ali Moosa: Agreed, adding that digital locked notes and the ability to search content make digital note-taking far more practical than hard copy braille.
  • Conclusion
    • Participants generally agreed that digital braille displays and note-taking apps have largely replaced the need for hard copy braille and Perkins Braillers for most use cases.

VoiceOver Speech Rate Preferences

Participants briefly discussed the speech rates they use with VoiceOver.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Stated he keeps VoiceOver at 70% speed, noting that at this rate most sighted people cannot understand it.
    • Siena: Noted she also uses 70%.
    • Lily: Mentioned she uses 65%.
    • Ali Moosa: Uses the Alex voice on his iPhone.
    • Lily: Guessed Alex correctly.
  • Conclusion
    • Most participants use speech rates in the 65–70% range, which provides fast comprehension for experienced users while remaining largely unintelligible to others.

Mantis Q40 Overview and Introduction

Siena formally introduced the Mantis Q40 to the audience after the recording began.

  • Details
    • Siena: Described the Mantis Q40 as a 40-cell braille display developed by Humanware in partnership with the American Printing House for the Blind (APH).
    • Siena: Highlighted its distinguishing feature — a QWERTY keyboard rather than a Perkins Brailler-style keyboard — making it suitable for fast typists and students developing typing skills.
    • Siena: Explained it functions both as a braille display and a standalone note-taker, useful for writing notes on the go, reading choir lyrics, and more.
    • Siena: Noted compatibility with Windows, Mac, and Chromebook via Bluetooth or USB, and mentioned a USB port and SD card reader for expanded connectivity.
    • Siena: Stated the Mantis can connect to up to 5 Bluetooth devices simultaneously, unlike the Focus 40 which could only connect to one at a time.
  • Conclusion
    • The Mantis Q40 is a versatile device combining braille display, QWERTY keyboard, and standalone note-taker functionality with broad device compatibility.

Mantis Q40 Standalone Menu Overview

Amanda provided a walkthrough of the Mantis Q40’s main menu options.

  • Details
    • Amanda: Listed the following menu items: Editor, Braille Editor, Terminal, Library, File Manager, Calculator, Date and Time, Settings, Online Services, User Guide, and Power Off.
    • Amanda: Noted she primarily uses the device in standalone mode and most frequently uses the Library feature to read Bookshare BRF files.
    • Amanda: Explained the File Manager is used to access documents, USB drives, and flash drives — including church bulletins downloaded from her husband’s church.
    • Siena: Clarified that the Braille Editor creates braille-format files, while the regular Editor supports standard text and Word documents.
    • Siena: Expressed a wish that the Library’s CELA (online services) section allowed searching for books, similar to how Bookshare searching works.
    • Amanda: Agreed that a search feature for CELA would be a welcome addition.
  • Conclusion
    • The Mantis Q40 menu offers a comprehensive set of standalone features; the Library and Editor are the most frequently used by both Amanda and Siena.

Physical Layout of the Mantis Q40

Siena provided a detailed description of the physical layout of the Mantis Q40, prompted in part by a question from Palmer.

  • Details
    • Siena: Described the front panel as having a QWERTY keyboard at the top and a 40-cell braille display at the bottom, with 40 cursor routing buttons above each braille cell.
    • Siena: Explained the five thumb keys on the front edge: two shorter outer keys for moving one line/element at a time, two longer inner rectangular keys for panning the display left and right, and a circular home button in the center.
    • Siena: Noted the left edge has a USB-C charging port at the top, a power button in the middle, and a USB-A port at the bottom for memory sticks.
    • Siena: Mentioned an SD card slot on the top/back edge.
    • Siena: Highlighted tactile raised lines on the Escape, F4, F8, and F12 keys to help users identify key positions.
    • Palmer: Asked about round buttons on the sides, as seen on the Brailliant BI.
    • Ali Moosa: Clarified that the Brailliant BI40X has speakers and volume up/down buttons on the right side, which the Mantis does not have.
    • Ali Moosa: Noted the two devices have different physical layouts while sharing similar core features.
  • Conclusion
    • The Mantis Q40 has a distinct physical layout compared to the Brailliant BI series, most notably lacking built-in speakers and side round buttons, but featuring a full QWERTY keyboard.

Keyboard Shortcuts and Help Feature (F1)

Siena demonstrated the built-in keyboard help accessible via F1 and walked through key shortcuts available in standalone mode.

  • Details
    • Siena: Demonstrated pressing F1 in the main menu to access a list of keyboard shortcuts.
    • Key shortcuts covered included:
      • Ctrl+Fn+S / Ctrl+Alt+S: Toggle speech on/off
      • Ctrl+Alt+G / Ctrl+Fn+G: Change braille grade (uncontracted, contracted, computer braille)
      • Alt+Equals / Alt+Dash: Volume up/down
      • Ctrl+Alt+Equals / Ctrl+Fn+Equals: Increase speech speed
      • Ctrl+Alt+Dash / Ctrl+Fn+Dash: Decrease speech speed
      • Ctrl+Alt+P / Ctrl+Fn+P: Check battery level
      • Ctrl+Alt+T / Ctrl+Fn+T: Check time
      • Ctrl+Alt+D: Check date
      • Ctrl+Alt+E / Ctrl+Fn+E: Eject media
      • F12: Toggle keyboard entry between QWERTY and Perkins braille input
      • Ctrl+Space: Change keyboard layout (e.g., between English and French)
    • Siena: Demonstrated speech speed ranging from -4 to +10, recommending speed 0 for the most natural-sounding voice.
    • Siena: Demonstrated volume levels up to 20, noting a beep sound when maximum volume is reached.
  • Conclusion
    • The F1 keyboard help feature is a valuable reference tool for users learning the device or needing to recall shortcuts quickly.

Editor Feature Demonstration

Siena demonstrated the standalone Editor on the Mantis Q40.

  • Details
    • Siena: Opened the Editor from the main menu and created a new blank file.
    • Siena: Typed a sample sentence (“This is a test of the editor on the Mantis Q40. I hope you are all enjoying this tutorial on Techstravaganza. I certainly am.”) to demonstrate word-echo typing feedback.
    • Siena: Intentionally typed “certain” instead of “certainly” to demonstrate cursor routing and editing.
    • Siena: Explained that Ctrl+Fn+Left Arrow functions as Ctrl+Home (go to beginning of document), and that Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down are accessed via Fn+Arrow keys, similar to a standard laptop keyboard.
    • Siena: Noted the Editor supports Word, RTF, and text file formats.
    • Palmer: Asked how files are saved — Siena clarified files save to the Mantis’s internal memory and can be transferred via USB stick; transfer via USB cable to a Mac is reportedly not supported, though it may work on PC.
  • Conclusion
    • The Editor is a functional standalone word processor supporting multiple file formats, with files stored in internal memory and transferable via USB storage.

Braille Editor Feature Demonstration

Siena briefly demonstrated the Braille Editor.

  • Details
    • Siena: Opened the Braille Editor and created a new braille file, noting it automatically switches to Perkins-style braille keyboard input (S, D, F for dots 1, 2, 3; J, K, L for dots 4, 5, 6).
    • Siena: Demonstrated changing the braille grade to contracted braille using Ctrl+Alt+G and typed a sample sentence slowly.
    • Siena: Noted that speech does not function in the Braille Editor, which is one reason she prefers the regular Editor.
    • Palmer: Discussed the difference in typing speed between Perkins-style and QWERTY keyboards, noting he can type faster on a Perkins keyboard but the braille display sometimes cannot keep up.
    • Siena: Agreed, noting her brain does not process Perkins-style input on a QWERTY keyboard as naturally.
  • Conclusion
    • The Braille Editor is available for creating braille-format files but lacks speech feedback; most users prefer the regular Editor for its broader functionality.

Calculator Feature Demonstration

Siena demonstrated the built-in calculator.

  • Details
    • Siena: Opened the Calculator and demonstrated calculating 75% of 100 (result: 7.5) and 13% tax on a $10.99 item (result: $1.43 tax, $12.41 total).
    • Siena: Showed how to clear the calculator using the backspace key.
    • Palmer: Questioned why a calculator was included in a braille display device.
    • Siena: Explained that Humanware aimed to make the Mantis more of a full note-taker rather than just a braille display.
  • Conclusion
    • The built-in calculator adds note-taker functionality to the Mantis Q40, useful for quick calculations without needing a separate device.

Date and Time Feature

Siena demonstrated the Date and Time standalone feature.

  • Details
    • Siena: Opened Date and Time from the menu, which displayed the date (September 16, 2026) correctly but showed an incorrect time (approximately 4–5 hours ahead, reflecting UK time rather than local time).
    • Siena: Noted the device does not appear to automatically sync time via Wi-Fi.
    • Siena: Demonstrated the shortcuts Ctrl+Alt+D for date and Ctrl+Alt+T for time.
  • Conclusion
    • The Date and Time feature works correctly for the date but may require manual time zone adjustment, as automatic Wi-Fi time sync does not appear to function as expected.

Settings Menu Overview

Siena walked through the Settings menu, focusing on User Settings and Speech Settings.

  • Details
    • Siena: Covered User Settings options including airplane mode, format markers, cursor visibility, cursor blink, and message display time.
    • Siena: Navigated Speech Settings, demonstrating: toggling speech on/off, speak menu, speak word under cursor, echo delete, and keyboard echo (options: off, words, characters, characters and words).
    • Siena: Showed the voice selection menu, listing available languages and voices including English Canada (Melanie only), English UK (Graham, Lucy, Nazaring, Peter, Rachel), English US (Darius, Karen, Laura, Lily, Michael, Micah, Rod, Ryan, Sharona, Tamira, Taylor, Tracy, Will), and others.
    • Siena: Attempted to download the Tamira voice as a demonstration, reaching 14% before canceling.
    • Siena: Noted other settings available: Language Profile, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Main Menu Applications, Change Language, Exam Mode (limits internet access during exams), and Software Update.
    • Lily: Noted amusingly that the voice list includes both “Lily” and “Ryan” — matching her name and her brother’s name.
  • Conclusion
    • The Settings menu offers extensive customization for speech, braille, connectivity, and language preferences; voice downloads require a Wi-Fi connection.

Library Feature Demonstration

Siena demonstrated the Library feature, which supports reading and listening to books.

  • Details
    • Siena: Showed the Library menu containing Book List, Recently Read, and Search.
    • Siena: Demonstrated returning books (Canadian Geographic, Reader’s Digest) to the CELA/Daisy Online library.
    • Siena: Opened “The Cane Kids: Everett and Willow’s Journey in Navigating Legal Blindness” and demonstrated audio playback using Ctrl+Shift+G to play/pause.
    • Siena: Consulted the built-in user guide to find navigation controls, discovering: Ctrl+T to change navigation level (Level 1, Phrase, Bookmark, Time Jump options), Alt+Left/Right Arrow to navigate within the selected level, and Ctrl+G to go to a specific page, heading, percentage, or bookmark.
    • Palmer: Asked about media controls for navigating within a book (chapters, sentences, etc.).
    • Siena: Confirmed navigation is controlled by selecting a navigation level via Ctrl+T and then using thumb keys or Alt+Arrow keys; the specific book demonstrated had limited navigation levels due to its formatting.
    • Siena: Noted the Library supports BRF (Bookshare), Daisy 2, Daisy 2.02, and ePub formats.
  • Conclusion
    • The Library is a powerful feature for reading and listening to books; navigation within books requires selecting the appropriate navigation level, which varies by book format.

Terminal Mode Demonstration (Windows and Mac)

Siena demonstrated using the Mantis Q40 in terminal mode as a braille display and keyboard for both Windows (via USB) and Mac (via Bluetooth).

  • Details
    • Siena: Explained terminal mode allows switching between up to 5 paired Bluetooth devices plus a USB connection; connected devices shown include Siena’s HPPC, iPhone, MacBook Air, Android device, and Legion Go (offline).
    • Siena: Noted Android connectivity provides keyboard input only, with no braille output.
    • Siena: Demonstrated navigating the Windows desktop using JAWS with the Mantis as the keyboard and braille display, including switching between JAWS and NVDA.
    • Siena: Showed that the keyboard layout automatically changes depending on the connected device: Windows layout (Ctrl, Fn, Windows, Alt) vs. Mac layout (Ctrl, Fn, Option, Command).
    • Siena: Used NVDA’s input help (Caps Lock+1) to identify key names on the bottom row.
    • Siena: Used VoiceOver keyboard help (Ctrl+Option+K) on the Mac to confirm the Mac keyboard layout on the Mantis.
    • Siena: Mentioned the Mac Alex voice is available as an NVDA add-on called Panthera.
    • Palmer: Asked about the function key’s role, noting it replaces dedicated Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys — Siena confirmed this is standard for laptop-style keyboards.
    • Siena: Noted that using the Mantis keyboard is often easier than navigating cramped laptop keyboard layouts (e.g., HP laptops placing the power button next to print screen).
  • Conclusion
    • The Mantis Q40 seamlessly adapts its keyboard layout to the connected device (Windows or Mac), providing full braille display and keyboard input functionality across platforms.

Comparison: Mantis Q40 vs. Brailliant BI40X

Participants compared the Mantis Q40 and Brailliant BI40X.

  • Details
    • Ali Moosa: Noted the Brailliant BI40X has built-in speakers and volume up/down buttons on the right side, which the Mantis lacks.
    • Palmer: Observed the Brailliant has round buttons on the sides that the Mantis does not have.
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed the two devices have different physical layouts while sharing similar core features and menu structures.
    • Siena: Agreed the physical layout differs significantly, with the Mantis being larger.
    • Siena: Mentioned she hopes to examine a Brailliant BI40X soon when a friend from Mississauga visits.
    • Palmer: Agreed that most menu features appear similar between the two devices.
  • Conclusion
    • The Mantis Q40 and Brailliant BI40X share similar functionality but differ notably in physical design, with the Brailliant having built-in speakers and the Mantis relying on external Bluetooth audio.

Upcoming Session Announcement: Eye Catcher App

Siena announced the topic for the following week’s Techstravaganza session.

  • Details
    • Siena: Announced the next session will cover the Eye Catcher app for iPhone and iPad — a podcast and media player described as VoiceOver-friendly and affordably priced.
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed he already uses Eye Catcher as his podcast app.
    • Palmer: Raised issues with the Apple Podcasts app, including episodes being auto-deleted after 24 hours and difficulty locating the setting to change this behavior.
    • Ali Moosa: Noted the Apple Podcasts app has an auto-remove setting that can be changed, but acknowledged difficulty finding it in the current app version.
    • Ali Moosa: Confirmed that subscriptions/downloads cannot be transferred from Apple Podcasts to a third-party app.
    • Siena: Offered to look into the auto-delete setting in Apple Podcasts and follow up with Palmer.
  • Conclusion
    • The next Techstravaganza session will feature the Eye Catcher podcast and media player app; a formal announcement will be included in the upcoming newsletter.

Learn more about what’s coming up on Techstravaganza Afternoons in the next few weeks at the following link: https://techstravaganza.ca/2026/09/02/whats-coming-up-on-techstravaganza-afternoons-as-of-september-2-2026/

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