Internship Programmes

Tactile Displays and Communications

Discipline: Mechanical Eng, Industrial Systems / Human Factors Eng, Mechanical Eng (Design Specialisation)

The project aims to:
Address the issues of tactile communications. The tactile (touch) communication channel is intuitive, basic and natural. It is a universal language and can be used to grab attention, to provide directions. and to communicate emotions. In a military context, a squad leader might use a stick to tap on the shoulder of a machine gunner to communicate his sector of fire. A touch on the arm by the squad leader could be the means to get a soldier's attention during a stealth mission. For military operations, a touch is an intuitive choice for effective communications in a stealth operation, to provide directional signals for land navigation, and for alerting the soldier to any incoming threats. However, questions arise as to what and how much can be communicated? When is touch the most appropriate channel to communicate? What type of information is most appropriate to communicate by touch? How can touch enhance situation awareness (SA) and decision making?

The challenge of the project:
The student will first seek to understand where tactile communication is applied through literature review. He/she is then required to think of potential areas where tactile devices can be applied to and to develop prototypes, if needed after potential areas have been identified. He/she is also expected to carry out usability studies on the prototypes developed.

Pre-requisite:
Programming knowledge is preferred. Students must have strong interest in exploring new ideas and concepts.