Extraction of vector information using a novel tactile display

A tactile stimulation device capable of displaying sophisticated animated patterns to a human hand has been designed and constructed. In a scientific visualization scenario, vectors of varying magnitude and direction are encoded, thus leaving the visual display free to show other information. The tactile information can be synchronized with that displayed visually and aurally, creating a multi-dimensional, multi-modal scientific visualization system. The design and operation of the tactile display device are described. An experiment that explores the vector magnitude and direction acuity of observers using this display is also presented. The principal findings are that both variations in magnitude and direction could be accurately discerned, though magnitude response showed a small degree of non-linearity. Furthermore, these two dimensions showed a high degree of orthogonality. The observers found the device clear and natural to use, and the manner in which the information was encoded upon it was reported to be easily and intuitively interpretable.