• aptica
• bionica
• bionics
• feedback
• haptics
• indossabile
• prostheses
• protesi
• tactile
• tattile
• wearable
• wireless

The aim of the thesis activity was the development of standalone vibrotactile units based on voice coil actuators. The adoption of this motor type allows the separate control of vibration frequency and strength, thus providing richer tactile feedback to the users. Each unit is provided with its own battery and onboard electronics and it can be wirelessly activated by a central computing unit. The thesis activity involved an extensive modeling of the behavior of the actuators with different input waveforms. The simulations also tested design ideas to decrease the power consumptions and to impose a resonance frequency that targets the Pacinian corpuscles of the skin. The simulations drove the choice of suitable actuators available on the market. The motors were then customized with the addition of springs, 3D-printed components and polymeric encapsulations. The intensity of vibration of the modified actuators was tested systematically. A characterization of the latency and jitter of the selected wireless communication protocol was performed both for one-to-one connections and for networks involving multiple peripherals. Finally, a flexible printed circuit board was designed in order to fold it around the motor, thus reducing the encumbrance of the system. The obtained device was used to perform preliminary psychophysical tests to verify the capability of users to perceive the provided feedback.