A flexible multimodal tactile display array for virtual shape and texture

Multimodal tactile display systems that are capable of delivering versatile tactile information effectively are of great interest for virtual reality and tele-operation applications. In this paper, we present a new flexible multimodal tactile display system that delivers shape and texture information simultaneously using a single actuator. The proposed tactile display is actuated by a combination of electromagnetic and pneumatic forces and thus exhibits high tactile force to deliver shape information and large vibration amplitude to deliver texture information. In addition, the proposed tactile display device was implemented on a flexible PDMS structure to allow for tight attachment on any curved body to transfer reliable tactile information. By applying a current pulse of 300 mA for 5 ms, we readily controlled the state of the tactile actuator and measured the actuation displacement of 900 μm and the generated force of 20.1 gf. The average vibration amplitude of 30 μm was measured over a wide dynamic range (25–650 Hz) with an applied current of 74 mA. Lastly, by delivering various tactile information to users, we verified the functionalities of the implemented 4 × 1 multimodal tactile display array. User study results showed that the fabricated multimodal tactile display system successfully delivered both shape information with an accuracy of 73 % and texture information with an accuracy of 90 %. This work demonstrates the potential of our multimodal tactile display system for uses in various applications such as tele-operation, tactile communication, and visual presentation for visually impaired.