Responsive dynamic three-dimensional tactile display using hydrogel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9711065-B2
Application number	US-201314443857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2013
Priority date	Nov 20, 2012
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

A dynamic and refreshable three-dimensional tactile display uses stimulus sensitive hydrogel blocks as pixels to create a touch surface with elevations from a two-dimensional optical image or from stored data. The movable three-dimensional tactiles are powerful in teaching Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) materials to visually impaired and blind students.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for fabricating a tactile display system, the method comprising:
(a) forming a first chamber containing a hydrogel that can reversibly move between a collapsed position and any of a plurality of swollen positions in response to an environmental stimuli;
(b) forming a second chamber containing a second hydrogel suitable as a solvent reservoir;
(c) bonding the first chamber to the second chamber to create a first pixel;
(d) repeating steps (a) to (c) one or more times to create one or more additional pixels; and
(e) creating an array of the first pixel and each additional pixel thereby forming the tactile display system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
step (a) comprises packaging the first chamber in a polymer coating.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:
step (a) comprises forming the polymer coating with an accordion shape near a perimeter of the block of hydrogel.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:
step (a) comprises forming the polymer coating with a wavy shape within a perimeter of the block of hydrogel.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:
the polymer coating comprises a parylene.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the environmental stimuli is a change in light intensity, and
the block of hydrogel is light sensitive.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein:
step (b) comprises embedding a light intensity amplifier in the second hydrogel.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:
the light intensity amplifier comprises light sensitive diode for sensing light from an image on an optical display, and a light emission diode to activate movement of the hydrogel.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein:
step (b) comprises forming serpentine interconnects between diodes.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:
step (b) comprises packaging the second chamber in a polymer coating.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein:
the polymer coating comprises a parylene.

Assignees

• Yu Hongyu
• Windhorst Rogier
• Baluch Debra
• Jiang Hanqing
• Dai Lenore
• Univ Arizona State

Inventors

• Yu Hongyu
• Windhorst Rogier
• Baluch Debra
• Jiang Hanqing
• Dai Lenore

Classifications

• G06F3/14

  Digital output to display device {; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units} · CPC title

• G09B21/004 Primary

  Details of particular tactile cells, e.g. electro-mechanical or mechanical layout · CPC title

• G06F2203/04809

  Textured surface identifying touch areas, e.g. overlay structure for a virtual keyboard · CPC title

• G06F3/0488

  using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures · CPC title

• G06F3/04886

  by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus · CPC title