title: Investigation of the piezoelectric thimble tactile device operating modes.
abstract: A multifunctional device to transfer graphical or text information for blind or visually impaired is presented. The prototype using tactile perception has been designed where information displayed on the screen of electronic device (mobile phone, PC) is transferred by oscillating needle, touching the fingertip. Having the aim to define optimal parameters of the fingertip excitation by needle, the computational analysis of different excitation modes has been carried out. A 3D solid computational finite element model of the skin segment, comprising four main fingertip skin layers (stratum corneum, epidermis, dermis and hypodermis) was built by using ANSYS Workbench FEA software. Harmonic analysis of its stress-strain state under excitation with different frequency (up to 10000 Hz) and harmonic force (0.01 N), acting outer stratum corneum layer in normal direction at one, two or three points has been performed. The influence of the mode of dynamic loading of skin was evaluated (in terms of the tactile signal level) on the basis of the normal and shear elastic strain in dermis, where mechanoreceptors are placed. It is shown that the tactile perception of information, delivered by three vibrating pins, may be influenced by configuration of excitation points (their number and phase of loading) and the frequency of excitation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mechatronics, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Ramutis
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bansevicius
authors.affiliation: Department of Production Engineering, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Egidijus
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dragasius
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grigas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mechatronics, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vytautas
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jurenas
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mechatronics, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Darius
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mazeika
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mechatronics, Kaunas University of Technology, Kaunas, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Arunas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zvironas
mesh_terms: D003143:Communication Devices for People with Disabilities; D019245:Compressive Strength; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D055617:Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011312:Pressure; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014110:Touch; D014159:Transducers; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D015443:Word Processing / Q000295:instrumentation*