An Electrorheological Tactile Display

Abstract

In addition to force and torque reflection, teleoperation also requires a degree of tactile feedback. This is particularly important where knowledge of a surface topology is desired, such as might be encountered by an underwater or space exploration vehicle. Similarly, the aerospace industry is presently developing ever increasingly sophisticated virtual reality environments for pilot training. It is felt that, in addition to visual, audio, and torque feedback, some form of tactile feedback would be useful. This paper presents a means by which electrorheological fluids may be used to provide a relatively high resolution tactile display containing virtually no moving parts. Design parameters are outlined and an example of a working model is shown. The extension of this and similar technology to the display of rapidly time varying tactile images is also discussed.