Tactile-display illusory-sensation stimulation device.
Systems and methods providing tactile displays that present two-dimensional moving tactile stroke sensations are described herein. Systems and methods provide for controlling the characteristics of stimulation devices arranged in a grid topology to generate virtual stimulation devices and illusory sensations. Embodiments provide for the generation of illusory sensations including, but not limited to, continuous linear movement and shapes such as curves, squares, and circles. According to embodiments, a tactile display apparatus is provided that facilitates user interaction with the tactile display. The tactile display apparatus includes an interface embedded with stimulation devices and a control device that controls the operation of the stimulation devices to generate illusory sensations.
BACKGROUND(1) The sense of touch provides rich information about the world around us. Evoked by our interactions with objects and materials, it informs us about the texture, roughness, softness, viscosity, elasticity and myriad variations in resistance. Tactile display or haptic technology attempts to produce such sensations through technological devices that interface with users through the sense of touch. In general, a tactile display is comprised of one or more stimulation devices regulated by a controller. A user in contact with the tactile display experiences sensations resulting from vibrations or other forces emanating from the individual stimulation devices. Current tactile display technologies are inadequate for a variety of reasons. Providing tactile display systems with richer and more authentic tactile sensations would greatly enhance user experiences with systems utilizing tactile display technology.BRIEF SUMMARY(2) In summary, one aspect provides a method comprising: controlling one or more characteristics of a plurality of stimulation devices configured to generate a sensation of one or more virtual stimulation devices perceivable by a user; generating one or more tactile sensations using the plurality of stimulation devices and the one or more virtual stimulation devices; and controlling the one or more tactile sensations such that the one or more tactile sensations are perceivable by a user at a plurality of positions.(3) Another aspect provides a system comp
1. A method comprising: controlling one or more characteristics of a two-dimensional array of a plurality of actual physical stimulation devices configured to generate a two-dimensional phantom tactile sensation, wherein the phantom tactile sensation is a result of one or more additional illusory stimulation devices perceivable by a user and having a higher resolution than the actual physical stimulation devices and wherein the one or more additional illusory stimulation devices are perceived at a location distinct from the plurality of actual physical stimulation devices; generating one or more tactile sensations using the plurality of actual physical stimulation devices and the one or more additional illusory stimulation devices; and controlling the one or more tactile sensations such that the one or more tactile sensations are perceivable by a user at a plurality of positions.
13. A system comprising: a two-dimensional array of a plurality of actual physical stimulation devices; and one or more control devices configured to: control one or more characteristics of the two-dimensional array of a plurality of actual physical stimulation devices configured to generate a two-dimensional phantom tactile sensation, wherein the phantom tactile sensation is a result of one or more additional illusory stimulation devices perceivable by a user and having a higher resolution than the actual physical stimulation devices and wherein the one or more additional illusory stimulation devices are perceived at a location distinct from the plurality of actual physical stimulation devices; generate one or more tactile sensations using the plurality of actual physical stimulation devices and the one or more additional illusory stimulation devices; and control the one or more tactile sensations such that the one or more tactile sensations are perceivable by a user at a plurality of positions.
24. A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising: computer readable program code configured to control one or more characteristics of a two-dimensional array of a plurality of actual physical stimulation devices configured to generate a two-dimensional phantom tactile sensation, wherein the phantom tactile sensation is a result of one or more additional illusory stimulation devices perceivable by a user and having a higher resolution than the actual physical stimulation devices and wherein the one or more additional illusory stimulation devices are perceived at a location distinct from the plurality of actual physical stimulation devices; and computer readable program code configured to generate one or more tactile sensations using the plurality of actual physical stimulation devices and the one or more additional illusory stimulation devices; computer readable program code configured to control the one or more tactile sensations such that the one or more tactile sensations are perceivable by a user at a plurality of positions.