Title :
A compact tactile display for the blind with shape memory alloys
Author :
Velázquez, Ramiro ; Pissaloux, Edwige E. ; Wiertlewski, Michael
Author_Institution :
Laboratoire de Robotique de Paris, Universite Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6, Fontenay-aux-Roses
Abstract :
This paper presents a novel tactile display device that exhibits some advantageous features for the blind: low-cost, lightweight, compactness and high portability. The prototype consists of an 8 times 8 arrangement of tactile pins actuated by shape memory alloys (SMAs) with 2.6 mm spatial resolution and 1 mm vertical excursion. Unlike existing devices, the full display is only 200 g weight and its compact dimensions make it easily carried by the user. A technical overview of the system is presented as well as preliminary results on tactile perception to evaluate its performance on information transmission
Keywords :
display devices; handicapped aids; haptic interfaces; shape memory effects; tactile sensors; blind; compact tactile display; shape memory alloys; tactile actuator; Actuators; Bandwidth; Costs; Displays; Drives; Laboratories; Prototypes; Robot sensing systems; Shape memory alloys; Springs;
Conference_Titel :
Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA 2006. Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Orlando, FL
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-9505-0
DOI :
10.1109/ROBOT.2006.1642300
