Compact, Portable, Modular, High-performance, Distributed Tactile Transducer Device Based on Lateral Skin Deformation

We describe a tactile transducer system that has a compact, yet modular design. The tactile transducer comprises a 6 × 10 piezo bimorph actuator array with a spatial resolution of 1.8 × 1.2 millimeter and a wide temporal bandwidth. The blocked force of the individual actuators can be changed (0.15 N, 0.22 N) by adjusting the cantilever mechanics to optimally match skins and/or applications. This tactile transducer is modular, appeals to ordinary fabrication methods, and can be assembled and dismantled in a short time for debugging and maintenance. It weighs 60 g, it is self-contained in a 150 cm³volume and may be interfaced to most computer, provided that two analog outputs and six digital IO lines are available. A pilot test was carried out where subjects were asked to detect a virtual line randomly located on an otherwise smooth virtual surface.