SIGACCESS

Haptics is the interaction with a computer through the sense of touch. Previous research has shown that the visual cortex is able to process spatial information obtained through the skin. The highest concentration of touch nerves is located on the tongue. This thesis improves a prototype device that has been built to fit onto the tongue and receive visual information in a tactile form. Possible applications include its use as a prosthetic device for visual impairment and multi-sensory environments. Two contributions are made: First, increasing the resolution of the device and introducing virtual points as representation; and, second, conducting a series of experiments with human participants to evaluate the effectiveness of the device.