The purpose of the work is to assess the feasibility of developing a wearable multipoint opto-tactile transducer for the deaf or blind by building and evaluating a desk-top, laboratory version of the transducer. The objectives will be accomplished by 1) reviewing technical literature on opto-tactile perception, 2) designing and fabricating a laboratory laser-tactile transducer, 3) characterizing and testing the response of the skin to the transducer stimulation, 4) identifying the technical developments needed to fabricate the transducer (if the tests show that optical stimulation is feasible), and 5) reporting all results of the work in a final report.
