Tactile Displays : a short overview and recent developments

Tactation is the sensation perceived by the sense of touch. Tactation is based on the skin receptors. The skin nerves can be stimulated by mechanical, electrical or thermal stimuli. Apart from fibers for pain, skin has six more types of receptors. A review of the state of the art concerning the physiological and technological principles, considerations and characteristics, as well as latest implementations of micro-actuator based tactile graphic displays and the relative software interfaces structures and representations is presented. Fabrication technologies are reviewed in order to demonstrate the potential in tactile applications. Existing electronic Braille displays for accessibility are limited to text-based information. Graphic tactile displays enable for viewing images by the sense of touch on a reusable surface and substitution of the visual/auditory sense. Applications include education, engineering/artistic design, web surfing, and viewing of art and photographs. Tactile substitution can be used in augmenting accessibility for the blind or deaf in order to: (a) to enhance access to computer graphical user interfaces, (b) to enhance mobility in controlled environments. In general tactation based interfaces may allow communication of visual information to the brain in situations where the visual or hearing system is already overloaded such as race car drivers, airplane pilots, operating rooms, virtual reality and tele-presence.

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