Tactile transducer based on electromechanical solenoids

This paper describes the design, the preliminary evaluation and proposes a control strategy of a novel distributed tactile transducer for finger tip stimulation. The presented study has been conducted for the realization of a compact tactile device aiming at integration with a kinesthetic feedback systems. The transducer is a 5×6 array based on custom electromechanical mini-solenoid designed and optimized for reduced encumbrance and lightweight. The realized actuator has a diameter of 2.4mm and is capable of delivering a maximum force of 73mN. In the first section we present the electro-mechanical design, the optimization and the first experimental test of a prototype for the new transducer. In the second section we show the electronic design and a strategy for controlling arrays of transducers with a reduced number of connectors. This principle is based on active matrix addressing of LCD displays.