Subject: Re: Vibrotactile From: john erdreich <acoustic(at)i-2000.com> Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 22:29:57 -0500Mari Jones wrote: > > >Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 22:34:10 -0500 > >From: Howard Connelly <hog(at)tidalwave.net> > >Subject: Vibrotactile > >X-Sender: hog(at)postoffice.tidalwave.net > >To: jones.80(at)osu.edu > > Hi List members, > > I know some of you out there can answer these questions about vibrotactile > research better than I.... so I am forwarding this message, assuming that it > has not been forwarded before (I sometimes miss these things). > > Mari J.> > > >Dear Mrs. Jones, > > > >Found you in the Acoustical Society list and hope you had information on > >the following subject. The letter at the bottom of this page was sent to an > >exceptional musician in scotland Evelyn Glennie. She is a deaf > >percussionist if your not familier. I would like to know if you specialize, > >or if you know of any specialists in the field mentioned below, or if there > >is any equipment readily available that acts like the following device > >described. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Dear Evelyn: > > > >Hello, my name is Howard Connelly. I am a sculptor working in Washington, > >DC. I saw a PBS documentary on Rio De Janeiro which included you > >rehearsing music in a room while you were on the road. The image of you > >laying your hands on a cassette player inspired my idea for a device that > >uniquely translates sound into touch. "high fidelity for the hands". I > >visualized a hand held unit that could translate any sound, recorded or > >live, into enhanced tactile vibrations. I am curious to know if you find > >the exploration for such a device interesting. > > > >My mission lead me first to Kathy Ballastino at Gallaudet University in > >Washington DC researching assistive devices. I found that the only > >equipment for a hearing impaired person was a standard stereo system or > >something like what I saw you using to rehearse with. Even with > >exaggerated volume, the experience is somewhat limited to bass tones. With > >experimentation and equipment at The Speaker Factory, I found that > >frequencies over 600 Hz did not transmit noticable vibrations to the touch. > >Next, Ray Kester of K-TRON Electronic Engineering and I designed a custom > >crossover circuit. It takes any audio signal and separates the high and low > >frequencies. Then it further divides the high frequencies into individual > >channels. Finally, It translates the high frequency channels to a > >corresponding low frequency better suited to transmit Haptic or tactile or > >vibrations! Basically it compresses the full audio range into the tactile > >range. We are working to create the most effective vibrating touch pad for > >the user. Currently we are experimenting with modified acoustic speaker > >magnets. Each finger could feel a different instruments vibrations! I've > >also made some drawings of how it all might look. > > > > > >I am very excited about "high fidelity for the hands" and hope that we will > >have chance to look into this project together. If you do find this effort > >interesting, would you be able to offer any advice? Thank you for your time > >and kind consideration. I look forward to your response, > > > > > > > >Sincerely, > > > >Howard Connelly > > > > > > > > > > > >Thank you Mrs. Jones > > > > > >Howard Connelly > > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________ > __________________________ > > Mari Riess Jones > Department of Psychology > 142 Townshend Hall > The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210 > Phone: 614-292-4206 > Fax: 614-292-5601 > ____________________________________________________________________________ > ___________________________ There is an extensive literature on vibrotactile stimulators. Much of it done at Ohio State. Look in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America for references over the past ten years. -- John Erdreich, PhD Ostergaard Acoustical Associates 200 Executive Dr W Orange, NJ 07052 Phone 973 731 7002 Fax 973 731 6680