Tactile display to allow sight impaired to feel visual information including color
A tactile display may comprise an array of pins that may be raised in height relative to one another to represent contours of objects in a graphic image or picture when touched. Various physical attributes may be given to individual pins to represent color or brightness. For example, pins may be heated or cooled to represent cool or warm colors in the original image. Pins may also be vibrated or otherwise enhanced to represent color or brightness information in the original image.
1. A tactile display, comprising:
an array of pins comprising a first pin and a top plate and a bottom plate separated by a space between the top plate and the bottom plate, the top plate having a first hole and the bottom plate having a second hole, the first hole and the second hole aligned with each other, wherein the first pin passes through the first hole and the second hole;
a control device communicatively coupled to the array of pins and configured to receive a colored graphic image and to convert the colored graphic image to a black and white image and to determine brightness values of the black and white image;
a plurality of actuators, each of the plurality of actuators configured to move one of the array of pins to a height relative to other pins in the array, wherein the relative heights are based on the brightness values of the black and white image, wherein one of the plurality of actuators is located under the first pin;
a plurality of vibrating devices, each of the plurality of vibrating devices configured to vibrate one of the array of pins at a frequency associated with a color at a location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the one of the array of pins, wherein one of the plurality of vibrating devices is located under the first pin;
a thermal electric cooler (TEC) configured to heat the first pin when the first pin is representing a warm color at the location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin and to cool the first pin when it is representing a cool color at the location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin; and
a current source configured to pass current through the first pin based on the color at the location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin.
2. The tactile display as recited in claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of vibrating devices is adjacent to one of the plurality of actuators.
3. The tactile display as recited in claim 2 ,
wherein each of the plurality of vibrating devices is configured to generate a vibrating frequency that is higher for the warm color than for the cool color, wherein the warm color comprise red, orange, yellow, pink, or a combination thereof, and wherein the cool color comprise green blue, white, silver, gray, or a combination thereof.
4. A method for displaying an image on a tactile display, comprising:
converting, with a control device, a colored graphic image to a black and white image;
determining, with the control device, brightness values of the black and white image;
raising, with an actuator, a first pin of an array of pins through a bottom plate and a top plate of the array of pins to a height relative to other pins in the array, wherein the relative heights are based on the brightness values of the black and white image;
vibrating, with a vibrating device, the first pin, the frequency of vibration based on a color at a location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin;
passing, with a current source, current through the first pin based on the color at the location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin;
heating, with a thermal electric cooler, the first pin if the first pin represents a warm color at the location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin; and
cooling, with the thermal electric cooler, the first pin if the first pin represents a cool color at the location of the colored graphic image corresponding to the first pin.
5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the vibrating device is adjacent to the actuator.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the vibrating is done at a frequency that is higher for the warm color than for the cool color, wherein the warm color comprises red, orange, yellow, pink, or a combination thereof, and wherein the cool color comprises green blue, white, silver, gray, or a combination thereof.
7. The method as recited in claim 4 , further comprising:
digitizing the colored graphic image; and
using an edge detect filter to detect contours of objects in the colored graphic image.