Basic Characteristics of Printable Large-Area Electrostatic Tactile Display*

We have developed a large printable electrostatic tactile display based on electrostatic tactile and paper electronics technology. In this display, it is possible to impart tactile sensation to a specific part of a symbol alone by printing a color ink for that symbol on the electrode. The use of a paper medium makes the display easy to enlarge and develop at low cost and it can be rolled up, miniaturized and carried easily. We studied the possibility of uniform tactile presentation over a large area in this display, and the effect of the color ink layer on the perceived intensity. As a result, no large voltage drop due to enlargement of the display was observed. No difference in perceived intensity due to the amount of color ink used was found. The results thus confirmed that it is possible to print vivid graphics using large amounts of ink and that the proposed display can be used as a poster.