Haptic-assistive technologies for audition and vision sensory disabilities.

Purpose: The aim of this review is to analyze haptic sensory substitution technologies for deaf, blind and deaf-blind individuals.

Method: The literature search has been performed in Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar databases using selected keywords, analyzing studies from 1960s to present. Search on databases for scientific publications has been accompanied by web search for commercial devices.

Encapsulation of Piezoelectric Transducers for Sensory Augmentation and Substitution with Wearable Haptic Devices.

The integration of polymeric actuators in haptic displays is widespread nowadays, especially in virtual reality and rehabilitation applications. However, we are still far from optimizing the transducer ability in conveying sensory information. Here, we present a vibrotactile actuator characterized by a piezoelectric disk embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) shell.

Piezoelectric energy harvesting solutions.

This paper reviews the state of the art in piezoelectric energy harvesting. It presents the basics of piezoelectricity and discusses materials choice. The work places emphasis on material operating modes and device configurations, from resonant to non-resonant devices and also to rotational solutions.