Design and microfabrication of a flexible oral electrotactile display

A polyimide-based flexible oral tactile display with an array of 7/spl times/7 tactors is designed for presentation of electrotactile patterns onto the roof of the mouth. The device is microfabricated on a rigid substrate using thin-film and electroplating processes and then released by peeling it off from the substrate. Dome-shaped tactors are electroplated through round openings 300 /spl mu/m in diameter in the flexible polyimide base for more uniform current distribution and better contact with the skin. The overall dimensions of the tactor array are 18.5/spl times/18.5 mm/sup 2/, with a center-to-center spacing of 2.54 mm between adjacent tactors. Each tactor is 200 /spl mu/m in height and 700 /spl mu/m in diameter. The device robustness is improved by using a grid-pattern design for the openings to overcome the stress mismatch between the rigid tactors and the flexible base. The flexible oral tactile display has been tested in human subject experiments and found to deliver comfortable electrotactile stimulation with relatively low stimulation intensities.

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