HaptiComm: A Touch-Mediated Communication Device for Deafblind Individuals

  • Basil Duvernoy
  • , Zhanat Kappassov
  • , Sven Topp
  • , Jeraldine Milroy
  • , Shuangshuang Xiao
  • , Ines Lacote
  • , Azamat Abdikarimov
  • , Vincent Hayward
  • , Mounia Ziat

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

Abstract

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.
Original languageEnglish
JournalIEEE Robotics and Automation Letters
Volume8
Issue numberIssue 4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'HaptiComm: A Touch-Mediated Communication Device for Deafblind Individuals'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this