HaptiComm: A Touch-Mediated Communication Device for Deafblind Individuals
Résumé
Deafblindness is a unique disability characterized by a dual sensory reduction of both hearing and vision. For some Deafblind individuals, communication via touch may be their most accessible sensory channel. Multiple techniques that rely purely on touch exist within the Deafblind community. One method of interest referred to as “Deafblind Tactile Fingerspelling Alphabet” in
Australia or “Deafblind Manual Alphabet” in the U.K., comprises
twenty-six tactile symbols representing the letters of the Latin
alphabet. This letter describes the HaptiComm, a device designed
to reproduce the sensations generated during fingerspelling communication. The HaptiComm comprises an array of twenty-four
strategically placed electrodynamic actuators specifically designed
to produce distinct tactile sensations upon which the fingerspelling alphabet is constructed. The first experimental evaluation showed promising results suggesting further investigations related to the timing and the pace at which the stimuli are produced.
