Three-dimensional tactile display for the blind

Author

Shinohara, Masami ; Shimizu, Yutaka ; Mochizuki, Akira

Author_Institution

Dept. of Human Inf., Nat. Inst. of Biosci. & Human-Technol., Ibarki, Japan

Volume

6

Issue

3

fYear

1998

fDate

9/1/1998 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

249

Lastpage

256

Abstract

A tactile display device that can present tangible relief graphics for visually impaired persons has been developed. The tactile surface consists of a 64×64 arrangement of tactor-pins with 3 mm interspacing. The tactor-pins are aligned in a hexagonal, rather than a square formation, to assure smooth depiction. The matrix has a total area of 200 mm×170 mm. Each pin can be raised in 0.1 mm steps to a maximum height of 10 mm. Users can get certain information by touching the pins raised at varying heights with fingers and/or palms. Laboratory assessment of the device with six blind subjects showed its ability to transmit various kinds of information

Keywords

display devices; mechanoception; sensory aids; vision defects; 10 mm; 3 mm; blind subjects; fingers; hexagonal formation; information transmission; laboratory assessment; palms; smooth depiction; square formation; tactile display device; tactor-pins arrangement; tangible relief graphics; three-dimensional tactile display; visually impaired persons; Auditory displays; Fingers; Graphics; Humans; Image sensors; Laboratories; Materials science and technology; Pins; Speech synthesis; Three dimensional displays;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Rehabilitation Engineering, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1063-6528

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/86.712218

Filename

712218