HAPTIC DISPLAY OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS FOR THE BLIND

THE INCREASING USE OF COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND PICTORIAL DISPLAYS, AND THE INCREASING RESOLUTION FOR THE DISPLAYS, POSE A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR BLIND COMPUTER USERS. WHILE WORD OUTPUT FROM COMPUTERS IS ACCESSIBLE BY BRAILLE OUTPUT WITH THE AID OF AN OPTACON OPTICAL-TO-TACTILE CONVERTER OR EVEN WITH AN AUDIO OUTPUT, ACCESS TO COMPLEX GRAPHICS IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DYNAMIC HAPTIC DISPLAY OF SUCH MATERIALIS PROPOSED. IT WOULD CONSIST OF A JOYSTICK-CONTROLLED COMPUTER MEMORY SCAN WITH A CONTROL ON THE JOYSTICK FOR AN 8-TO-1 SOFTWARE ZOOM AND A 16- X 24-POINT TACTILE DISPLAY, OVER WHICH THE USER RUNS THE FINGERTIPS OF THE LEFT HAND (HAPTIC EXPLORATION). BOTH ELECTROTACTILE AND VIBROTACTILE ARRAYS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND COMPARED.