EFFICIENT TACTOR FOR TACTILE AIDS

目前，使用触觉辅助器向听力受损者传递信息受到触觉器而非触觉的限制。 我们的目标是设计一个触觉器，充分利用触觉能力。 而不是使用外部正弦源来驱动触觉器，我们配置的传感器和驱动电路作为一个自激机电振荡器。 基于机电换能器固有的双向特性，将同一换能器用作力致动器和速度传感器。 速度信号用于控制换能器驱动电流，从而产生仅需要外部DC电源和控制信号的自激振荡机电系统。具体地，自振荡驱动器与在垂直于皮肤的振动触觉模式下操作的触觉器一起使用，并且还与借助于三种不同的振动触觉皮肤运动模式（皮肤的压缩、扭转和压痕）产生独特的多模态触觉刺激的触觉器一起使用。这两种触觉器都是有效的，具有快速响应、可变操作频率、大动态范围，并且提供了比现有触觉器在信息传递能力方面的估计数量级的改进。建议的商业应用预计新的触觉器的性能的改善应该有一个非常显着的影响触觉系统的应用。 商业化计划主要基于向现有触觉系统供应商提供新的触觉器。 其他用途包括触觉语言感知辅助，身体残疾人设备中的触觉反馈，虚拟环境系统中的触觉反馈，飞行员驾驶舱反馈，以及触觉研究中皮肤阻抗的直接测量。

The transfer of information using tactile aids for hearing-impaired persons is currently limited by the tactor and not by the tactile sense. Our aim is to design a tactor that makes full use of the tactile capability. Rather than using an external sinusoidal source to drive the tactor, we configure the transducer and the drive circuit as a self-excited electro-mechanical oscillator. The same transducer is used as a force actuator and a velocity sensor, based on inherent bi-directional properties of electromechanical transducers. The velocity signal is used to control transducer drive current, thus creating a self-excited oscillating electro-mechanical system requiring only external DC power and a control signal. Specifically, the self-oscillating drive is used with a tactor that operates in a vibrotactile mode perpendicular to the skin and also with a tactor producing a unique multimodal tactile stimulation by virtue of three different modes of vibro-tactile skin motion: compression, torsion, and indentation of the skin. Both tactors are efficient, have fast response, variable frequency of operation, large dynamic range, and provide an estimated order of magnitude improvement in information transfer capability over present tactors. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION Predicted improvement in performance of new tactors should have a very significant impact on tactile system applications. The commercialization plans are based primarily on supplying existing vendors of tactile systems with new tactors. Additional uses include tactile speech perception aids, tactile feedback in devices for physically handicapped individuals, tactile feedback in virtual environment systems, cockpit feedback for pilots, and direct measurement of skin impedance for tactile research.