Abstract
The aim of this study is intended to present the basic research necessary to transmit graphic tactile information for helping visually handicapped persons, using a small number of stimulated pins. The tactile display developed in this study has an 80-pin array (8×10 pins). A solenoid is used as an actuator for moving the pins upward. By placing the fingers of both the hands, except the thumb, on the tactile display containing the array of active pins, a subject can obtain the information presented on the display. Five blind subjects and 10 sighted subjects participated in this study. First, the optimum condition for the presentation of the images is determined. Next, the correct answer rates of the character information transmission test before and after a preliminary practice session are compared. The result suggests that the tactile sense of the blind subjects is considerably more sensitive than that of the sighted subjects. Moreover, the correct answer rate increased remarkably after the short time preliminary practice session, indicating that the tactile display is an effective medium for the transmission of tactile information.
