A Soft Vibrotactile Display Using Sound Speakers

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel soft vibrotactile display that uses audio speakers and air vibrations within a flexible polymer structure to deliver high-resolution tactile feedback, maintaining softness and flexibility.

Contribution

The study introduces a flexible, speaker-based vibrotactile display that generates tactile stimuli via air vibrations, offering a lightweight and high-resolution alternative to rigid actuators.

Findings

Enables high-frequency tactile vibrations

Maintains display softness and flexibility

Uses multiple speakers for high-resolution patterns

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative vibrotactile display that harnesses audio speakers to convey tactile information to the fingertips while preserving the display's softness and flexibility. Our proposed system integrates a flexible polymer body with silicone rubber tubes connected to audio speakers. By streaming audio through these speakers, we induce air vibrations within the tubes, generating tactile stimuli on the skin. In contrast to conventional tactile displays that often rely on bulky, rigid actuators, our approach employs multiple speakers to deliver high-resolution vibration patterns. This configuration enables the presentation of high-frequency vibrations, potentially enhancing the fidelity of tactile feedback. We present a detailed description of the display's design principles and implementation methodology, highlighting its potential to advance the field of haptic interfaces.