- Outline
- We are studying technology that allows two-dimensional information (e.g., maps) and three-dimensional information (e.g., works of art) to be conveyed to visually impaired people by tactile and haptic means. This exhibit shows a tactile display that allows people to grasp the layout or salient features of a picture by touch alone, and a haptic presentation device that allows users to touch a virtual object that feels similar to a real object.
- ●A tactile display that uses various vibration modes to represent an arbitrary area
- By presenting the constituent elements of a picture with diverse vibration modes that combine different frequencies and vibration time intervals, it is possible to grasp by touch alone the categories of items in a menu, or positional information such as earthquake and tsunami information, or the important parts of a map or graph. This makes it possible to support the rapid transmission and understanding of information similar to that normally obtained visually.
- ●Haptic presentation device with five stimulus points on a finger pad
- Shape features are conveyed by five stimulus points where the finger touches the virtual object. Users can feel features such as vertices and contours that are difficult to feel with a single stimulus point. This makes it easier to recognize the shape of a virtual object.
In our ongoing research, we are evaluating the cognitive characteristics of information gathered by tactile and haptic means, and we aim to implement a television service that allows viewers to touch objects such as images delivered by data broadcasting and virtual works of art.
- ●Part of this research is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Tokyo.
Conceptual view of tactile and haptic information presentation method for touch television
