A WEARABLE SOFT HAPTIC COMMUNICATOR BASED ON DIELECTRIC ELASTOMER LINEAR ACTUATORS

摘要

A wearable haptic device and methods of operating a wearable haptic device to provide haptic stimulation to a user are described. The haptic device comprises a band configured to be worn around a portion of a user's body, circuitry coupled to a flexible substrate, wherein the flexible substrate is coupled to the band, and a plurality of dielectric elastomer actuators electrically connected to the circuitry, each of the plurality of dielectric elastomer actuators including a rolled elastomer structure having electrode elements embedded therein, wherein the plurality of dielectric actuators are coupled to the circuitry to provide haptic stimulation to the portion of the user's body when the wearable haptic device is worn on the portion of the user's body and is actuated.