Reference Papers for the Project:

"Squeeze Film Effect for the Design of an Ultrasonic Tactile Plate" - M´elisande Biet, Fr´ed´eric Giraud, Member, IEEE, and Betty Lemaire-Semail, Member, IEEE.

"T-PaD: Tactile Pattern Display through Variable Friction Reduction" - Laura Winfield, John Glassmire, J. Edward Colgate, Michael Peshkin.

"ShiverPaD: A Glass Haptic Surface That Produces Shear Force on a Bare Finger" - Erik C. Chubb, Student Member, IEEE, J. Edward Colgate, Member, IEEE and Michael A. Peshkin, Member, IEEE.

Abstract:

All most all commercially available touch displays have no texture to touch. Introducing an element of texture in such displays would greatly enhance the experience of using the device. However most tactile displays currently built rely on pin based arrays which cannot be easily integrated into normal touch screens. In this project we reconstruct a haptic display for creating texture sensation through variations in surface friction using the squeeze film effect between a plate and a finger. The plate is actuated using piezoelectric ceramics. Ultrasonic vibrations are thus produced and are capable of generating the squeeze film effect. This enables us to simulate variable friction on the surface of the display plate. The base device being used is a Kindle Fire 1st Generation, on top which a glass plate is placed which is the surface that is vibrated to produce the squeeze film effect.

Project Topic:

"Reconstructing the TPAD FIRE an open-source surface haptics device."

Project Group Members:

Arjun Rajasekar, Masters Student at Drexel University in the ECE Department.

Mengchen Zhang, Masters Student at Drexel University in the ECE Department.

Project Guide:

Dr.Yon Vissel, Assistant Professor at Drexel University in the ECE Department.

Project Description:

The aim of the project is to reconstruct the TPAD FIRE, a variable friction surface combined with a Kindle Fire. The Device has been designed by the Neuroscience and Robotics Lab at the North Western University.

Here is a link to the website of TPAD TABLET PROJECT; the main source of information for building the device, that will be followed during the course of this project.