Tactile Computer Reader for Knowledge Representation

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9400195 Maxwell The aim of the research of this project is to find a combination of piezoelectric materials and surface mount electronics that, in a unique geometry, will produce a reliable Large Tactile Computer Controlled Array suitable for a full page Braille display. The choice of piezoelectric materials and geometry must produce a robust design, a design that when mass produced is affordable to the Blind community. The reliability is a particular key aim in that a dense tactile array can have several thousand pins, all of which must work. Present displays of 40 characters compared to the proposed display of approximately 1000 characters means that the manufacturing yield must be improved by a factor of 25. Research directed at the piezoelectric ceramic materials to identify the stress/strain, applied electric fields and fixture cycles to predict lifetime requires finite element computer modeling. To enhance the manufacturability and reliability, a geometric modular approach incorporating planar element rather than stacked cantilever actuators is required. Thus the Large Array will be made from many small, flat, identical, mass produced modules. ***