Haptic Device for Tactile Broadcasting Spatial Feedback
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Individuals with visual disabilities often rely on audio commentary for sporting events, which fails to convey crucial spatial details, leading to a lack of immersion and comprehension.
Innovation Solution
A haptic device with actuators beneath a cover that outputs tactile feedback based on sporting event data, providing spatial details through localized vibrations and potentially supplemented with audio commentary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If audio commentary is used to provide sporting event information, then accessibility for visually impaired individuals is improved, but spatial details and immersion are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments spatial information by using multiple independently controllable actuators arranged in arrays, where each actuator corresponds to a specific spatial location on the sporting event surface. This allows different regions to provide differentiated haptic feedback, preserving spatial details while maintaining accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a tactile dimension to audio commentary by incorporating haptic feedback through actuators. This transforms the purely auditory experience into a multi-sensory experience that includes touch, enabling users to perceive spatial relationships through tactile sensations corresponding to different locations on the field.
2Loss of information
If multiple actuators are used to convey spatial information, then spatial detail communication is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller serves multiple functions: it receives sporting event data, processes spatial information, determines which actuators to activate, controls the timing and intensity of haptic feedback, and coordinates with audio output. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system controls actuator output by varying parameters such as vibration frequency, amplitude, and duration. By adjusting these parameters, the device can convey different types of spatial information and event characteristics using the same physical actuators, reducing the need for additional hardware.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances the immersive experience for visually impaired individuals by conveying spatial details of sporting events through haptic feedback, allowing them to 'feel' the action and improving their understanding and engagement.
Implementation Method 1
A haptic device with actuators beneath a cover that outputs tactile feedback based on sporting event data, providing spatial details through localized vibrations
Data Source
AI summary
A device includes a housing, a cover coupled to the housing, and a plurality of actuators. The cover has a surface with regions in which haptics are output, tactile features associated with a sporting event, and braille characters. The plurality of actuators are disposed within the housing and actuate to output haptics within the regions. The device receives data associated with at least one actuator of the plurality of actuators to actuate, and causes, based on the data, the at least one actuator to actuate to output a haptic within the one or more regions. The haptics that are output may be unique from one another as a way to characterize the events taking place during the sporting event. The device may also output audio associated with the sporting event.