Contaminant resistant pin-based tactile display

摘要

Pin-based tactile displays have now been in use for more than forty years. One shortcoming, however, is their susceptibility to contaminants that jeopardize the operation of the delicate actuating mechanisms, necessitating costly periodic maintenance. We propose to cover such displays with a GoreTex protective layer to block the contaminants from reaching the sliding surfaces. The feel of the pins, however, is affected. We showed the correlation through tribological and perceptual experiments that certain pin shapes could restore the tactile feeling experience of standard braille pins.