Micro Suction Cup Tactile Guidance for Reconfigurable Floor Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tactile floor guidance systems for the visually impaired are not easily adaptable or reusable, particularly in historical buildings or those with changing uses, as they require permanent installation and are costly to modify or remove, and current solutions do not meet accessibility standards effectively.
Innovation Solution
The use of micro suction cups on the support surface of flat guide elements allows for firm attachment and easy removal without residue, enabling flexible reconfiguration and reuse, with the option to attach tactile elevations on a micro suction cup film that can adhere to various surfaces without visible attachment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If permanently installed floor guidance systems are used, then firm attachment and reliability are improved, but adaptability and ease of removal deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance system is divided into individual modular elements that can be independently installed, removed, and repositioned. Each element functions as a separate unit with its own attachment mechanism, allowing flexible reconfiguration without affecting other elements of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The attachment mechanism uses adjustable parameters including suction force, adhesive strength, and mechanical interlocking features. These parameters can be modified to achieve optimal balance between firm attachment during use and ease of removal when reconfiguration is needed.
2Stability of the object's composition
If permanently installed floor guidance systems are used, then stability is improved, but ease of manufacture and installation cost deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs inexpensive individual elements that can be easily manufactured and replaced. Rather than investing in expensive permanent installation infrastructure, the system uses affordable modular components that achieve stability through their design and attachment mechanisms while keeping overall system cost low.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate attachment layer or mechanism is introduced between the guidance elements and the floor surface. This intermediary component provides stable attachment during use while simplifying installation and removal processes, reducing the need for expensive specialized installation equipment and procedures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If bonded guidance systems are removed, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time and substance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The attachment function is extracted as a separate reversible mechanism rather than being permanently integrated into the guidance elements. This allows the guidance elements to be easily separated from the floor surface without damaging either the elements or the floor, enabling quick removal and reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed so that guidance elements can be removed, recovered, and reused in different locations or configurations. The attachment mechanism ensures elements can be cleanly separated without leaving residue or damage, making them fully recoverable for future use.
4Adaptability or versatility
If permanently installed systems are modified, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time and expense deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a static permanent installation to a dynamic reconfigurable arrangement. Individual elements can be easily added, removed, or repositioned to adapt to changing requirements, allowing the guidance system to evolve with the building's usage patterns without time-consuming modifications.
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
This solution provides a cost-effective, adaptable, and easily installable tactile floor guidance system that can be relocated or changed quickly, ensuring accessibility and reducing installation and removal costs, while maintaining firm adhesion and mechanical stability.
Implementation Method 1
The adhesion of the micro suction cup film is achieved by the fact that a negative pressure is created in the micro suction cups when the micro suction cup film is placed and pressed onto the surface in question.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a tactile floor guidance system for the orientation of blind and visually impaired people, wherein the floor guidance system comprises planar guidance elements and these guidance elements have a top surface and a base surface, wherein the top surface is formed with various tactilely perceptible elevations for blind and visually impaired people, and wherein the guidance elements rest on the floor to be marked with their base surface. The object of the invention is to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages of known tactile floor guidance systems and to create a solution that makes it possible to apply components of tactile floor guidance systems to the floor of a room in such a way that, when the operating conditions and circumstances change, components of the guidance system can be easily removed or replaced.to remove the entire guidance system and reinstall it adapted to the changed conditions, thereby reusing the components of the tactile floor guidance system. This task is accomplished by providing the contact surface (4) with micro-suction cups (6a) and by placing these micro-suction cups (6) on the floor.