EASY-BRAILLE - Electrothermal Actuator System for bistable hybrid Braille area displays

计算机的小型化使人们能够在任何时候访问大量数据，并使用这些数据。然而，由于视力受损，全球近2.85亿人基本上无法从这一发展中受益，其中3900万人完全失明，2.46亿人视力严重受限。更复杂的数据，如图形或表格，到目前为止还不能完全复制。因此，需要能够将图形转换为盲文代码的网格的大面积触觉系统，并且具有扁平、紧凑的结构和操作所需的低电功率。本项目的目的是研究一种全新的盲文区域显示器设计。盲文显示驱动器以双稳态模式工作。集成到大盲文显示区域中的是水平活动的面内致动器，其在编程阶段期间将面内致动器作为间隔物插入盲文销和起重致动器之间。编程是在离面致动器处于较低位置时完成的。编程后，离面致动器变为非活动状态，从而使回缩弹簧抬起销。在上致动器结构中，电热面内致动器被放置在两层中。在第二(下)致动器层中，灵活地安装柱塞线圈致动器，其允许提升销的垂直移动。由于技术原因，柱塞线圈致动器的小型化受到限制，因此计划由一个柱塞线圈致动器同时升降多个提升销(例如16个销)。在本项目中，我们将研究两种不同空间分辨率的协同作动系统的潜力和极限。

The miniaturisation of the computer has made it possible for people to gain access to a very large amount of data at any time, and to use these data. However, almost 285 million people worldwide are largely unable to benefit from this development due to impairment of their vision, with 39 million being fully blind while 246 million have severely restricted vision. More complex data, such as graphics or tables, so far cannot be fully reproduced. Thus there is a need for large-area tactile systems which are able to translate graphics into the grid of the Braille code, and which have a flat, compact construction and require low electric power to operate.The aim of this project is to research a completely new design for a Braille area display. The Braille display drives work in a bistable mode. Integrated into a large Braille display area are horizontally active in-plane actuators, which, for the taxel to be lifted, insert an in-plane actuator as a spacer between the Braille pin and a lifting actuator during a programming phase. The programming is done while the out-of-plane actuator is in a lowered position. After the programming, the out-of-plane actuator becomes inactive, so that the retracting spring lifts the pins. In an upper actuator configuration electrothermal in-plane actuators are placed in two layers. In a second (lower) actuator layer flexibly mounted plunger coil actuators are arranged which allow a vertical movement of the lifting pins. Because the miniaturisation of plunger coil actuators is limited for technical reasons, it is planned for one plunger coil actuator to lift and lower several lifting pins (e.g. 16 pins) simultaneously. In this project the potentials and limits of two different cooperating actuator systems with diverse spatial resolution will be investigated.