EFFICIENT TACTOR FOR TACTILE AIDS

听觉障碍者使用触觉辅助工具传递信息，目前主要受因素限制，而不受触觉的限制。我们的目标是设计一个充分利用触觉能力的元件。我们将换能器和驱动电路配置为自激机电振荡器，而不是使用外部正弦源来驱动因子。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，从而产生自激振荡机电系统，只需要外部直流电源和控制信号。具体地说，自振荡驱动器与一个在垂直于皮肤的振动触觉模式下工作的因子一起使用，也与一个通过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因子一起使用。这两种因子都高效、响应快、工作频率可变、动态范围大，并且与现有因子相比，在信息传递能力方面提供了估计数量级的改进。提出的商业应用新材料性能的预期改善将对触觉系统的应用产生非常重要的影响。商业化计划主要基于向现有触觉系统供应商提供新元件。其他用途还包括触觉语音感知辅助设备、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.