[Tactile-Talk] List

[kperry at blinksoft.com]

They are going to get cheaper.  I think though it might be a few more years
with some of the things going in the world and I am not talking about the
tariffs.  The Tariffs are not affecting disability equipment according to
the companies I am talking to.    With that said I have tried some devices
that use electrical stimulation to fake a tactile dot.  The problem I found
while testing it is over about a 15-minute use time your finger becomes num
so I do not think that will ever work.  There are some devices like the One
court that uses vibrating motors under a rubber mat to show a sports play or
where the tennis b or volleyball is and who is running with it or throwing
it.  The problem with these devices is the resolution is fine for what it
does but not quite as accurate as pins especially since the pins distance
from pin to pin is shrinking over time.  There are also several designs
underway trying to use electric polymers.  The problem with them is they are
very heavy, and as they heat up, they slow down.  We are not talking a small
slow down either,, I saw one 40 cell display that used plastic electrical
polymers, and it was about 2 to 3 times as heavy as a normal 40 cell display
and after about 40 lines it started slowing down as I scrolled.    There are
a good 70 groups or companies trying to make new tactile things.  Only a few
have anything that I think might be viable.  WE will see though.  
 
From: Tactile-Talk <tactile-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of
dan.tevelde--- via Tactile-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2025 12:14 PM
To: 'Tactile Talk for the discussion of the display and use of graphics on
refreshable Braille platforms' <tactile-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: dan.tevelde at comcast.net
Subject: [Tactile-Talk] List
 
Is this list still active? I haven't seen any traffic lately. I'm interested
in continuing the discussion of tactile displays. It was interesting reading
a blog post by Kirk Adams describing his impressions of the CSUN conference.
He noted that multi-line displays capable of displaying text and graphics
are too expensive for the average consumer. I think we already knew that.
It's like any new technology. I remember the first Kurzweil reading machine
was $50,000 and you only saw them at universities. Now we have reading
machines in our pockets. I can use my phone or Meta glasses to read text.
Could graphics displays become cheaper? I don't know considering the
situation with reduced public funding.
 
One comment Kirk made puzzled me. He said graphics displays should stop
using pins. What would replace the pins? He should have explained what he
meant which would have helped him make a case for his ideas.
 
Dan
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