Society of Robots - Robot Forum
Mechanics and Construction => Mechanics and Construction => Topic started by: evilknight007 on March 19, 2008, 09:28:49 PM
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HI ppl..
I'm planning to start work on a prototype, that would enable the blind ppl to help reading data tat are drawn on the computer screen.
The basic idea is to transfer the pixel data obtained from the monitor to a controller tat would in turn activate the pins in a physical matrix (made of the same number of pixels) .
Can anyone suggest a good mechanism to activate the pins( lift the pins ). Will individual electromagnets be suitable for this.?? ???
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small solenoid would work but depending on the resolution your trying to do that could get expensive. If I understand you correctly your trying to recreate information on a screen by raising pins on a grid matrix of some sort? maybe a locking mechanism to hold the pins and then move a single solenoid with some linear motion to move the solenoid back and forth and push the pins up then reset by releasing the locking mechanism.
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There was an article in Wired (magazine and TV show) about converting a camera image into touch based sensory input through the human tongue for blind people. I believe they were using some type of up/down movement of pins similiar to what you are looking for. Here's a link to the article: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2001/04/43174
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I once got to open up just such a device that was made in the late 80's. It was an impressively designed machine using state of the art for the time.
It had NiCad batteries, artificial muscles to raise/lower the pins for touch, a driver each for like 50 muscles, all done on PCB, etc.
I'm sure they already sell much more advanced ones already today.