Enhanced Haptic Sensations Using a Novel Electrostatic Vibration Actuator With Frequency Beating Phenomenon

Abstract

Generating haptic sensations in large touch displays is highly desirable, yet producing them for such application is challenging with conventional haptic actuators used in hand-held devices. This study proposes an electrostatic actuator utilizing frequency beating phenomenon with the goals of generating haptic sensations for large touch sensitive displays (TSDs). Unlike typical electrostatic actuators, the proposed haptic actuator incorporates two high-volt electrodes and a spring supported disk (moveable grounded mass) to enhance the intensity and pattern of haptic sensations. After fabricating a proof-of-concept prototype, its performance was experimentally evaluated by varying the beat frequency and the carrier frequency. Using mock-up LCD panels, a feasibility of the proposed actuator was evaluated for generating meaningful haptic sensations in large TSDs. Testing results show that the prototype generated a variety of unique vibration patterns at varying intensities based on combinations of the two input voltage signals. The results further show that the proposed actuator can produce sufficiently strong vibrotactile feedbacks in mock-up panels, indicating that the proposed electrostatic actuators can be a viable option for providing haptic sensations in large TSDs.