Dynamic Braille Display Utilizing Phase-Change Microactuators

Abstract

In this paper a phase-change microactuator is presented for use in a dynamic Braille display. The state of the art for phase-change actuators is briefly discussed. Then, key design parameters are specified which lead to the formation of a concept. The concept is characterized in terms of the design parameters, and key performance metrics such as actuation time (135-285 ms), and average power consumption (30-40 mW) have been simulated. In comparison to recent literature, the response time is expected to be improved by over two orders of magnitude, whereas average power consumption is also reduced.