VITAL: An electromagnetic integrated tactile display

VITAL is an acronym for VIbro-TActiLe display concepts and devices. The new tactile displays presented are based on an integrated electromagnetic actuator arranged in a (8 × 8) pin matrix. A multilayer approach with a simple assembly procedure enables the development of a new generation of competitively priced tactile matrices with potentially high micro-actuator density. The independent amplitude and frequency control of each pin facilitates displaying various haptic patterns; hence, the displays can be used as haptic communication media. VITAL aims to satisfy both market and haptic research requirements. This paper uses a haptic communication scenario to detail the research and technological development of the first prototype (VITAL1) and its validating experiment results. Extensions of the VITAL display technology through two additional variants and other applications’ perspectives are also discussed.