FeelIT — Haptic Accessibility Prototype (2008-2012)
The original FeelIT project — a digital environment with tactile feedback for blind users to explore virtual objects through relief information. Pioneered a 10×10 electromagnetically controlled pin-array display and servo-motor haptic devices.
Business Context
In 2008, no accessible device existed that could dynamically render 3D surface information through touch. Existing assistive technology was limited to Braille embossers for text and screen readers for audio. The concept of an electronically controllable pin array — like a screen, but for touch — was technically unexplored at accessible cost points.
Strategic Value
The project evolved from a 4x4 binary electromagnetic grid (2008) to a 10x10 array with multiple height levels (2009-2010), combined with Novint Falcon haptic device integration for 3-DOF force feedback. User testing with blind participants demonstrated successful shape exploration — validating that tactile 3D rendering is a viable accessibility modality. The project was frozen in 2012 due to hardware miniaturization limits, prohibitive per-pin cost, and mechanical calibration complexity. The validated concept was reborn 14 years later as FeelIT 2.0, proving the accessibility goal through software instead of custom hardware.
The Challenge
Creating a tactile display capable of rendering 3D surfaces for blind users. Commercial haptic devices were expensive and limited. The concept of electronically controllable pin positions to store and recall surface shapes dynamically had not been implemented at accessible cost.
Our Approach
Evolved from 4×4 (16-pin) binary electromagnetic grid to 10×10 array with multiple height levels. Combined with servo-motor-based haptic device and virtual environment for blind users to explore 3D objects through touch. User testing demonstrated successful shape exploration through haptic interaction. Project frozen due to hardware miniaturization limitations.
Key Performance Indicators
| KPI | Baseline | Result | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pin Array | No accessible tactile display | 10×10 multi-height electromagnetic array | Physical tactile rendering |
| User Validation | Concept only | Successful shape exploration by blind users | Proven accessibility approach |
Architecture
feelit concept
The Toy That Started Everything
A 3D metal pin art board — press an object against it and you get a tactile impression of its shape. Simple. But what if you could control each pin electronically? Store surfaces, recall them, change them dynamically. A blind person could feel the shape of any digital object through controllable tactile relief.
In 2008, as an electronics engineering student at Universidad de Concepcion, I started building exactly that.
The Hardware
Version 1 (2008): 16 electromagnetic pins in a 4x4 grid with binary control — each pin either up or down. It proved the concept, but 16 pixels of touch resolution is useless for real shapes.
Version 2 (2009–2010): 100 pins in a 10x10 array with multiple height levels — proportional displacement instead of binary. Custom power driver boards, improved microcontroller firmware. At this scale, simple shapes became tactilely distinguishable: bumps, ridges, waves.
During the thesis phase, we integrated a Novint Falcon haptic device providing 3-DOF force feedback in a Windows Forms virtual environment. Blind users explored 3D objects through touch — and the testing showed it worked. Users could distinguish spheres from cubes, navigate simple environments, and identify raised patterns.
Why It Stopped
Frozen in 2012. Three blocking constraints: electromagnetic actuators couldn’t be miniaturized enough for useful resolution while maintaining sufficient force. Each pin mechanism added prohibitive per-unit cost. And 100 independently moving parts demanded constant mechanical calibration.
But the core hypothesis was validated: tactile 3D rendering is a viable accessibility modality. The vision waited fourteen years, and was reborn as FeelIT 2.0 — proving the accessibility goal could be achieved without custom hardware.
Technology Stack
Visual assets for this project are not publicly available.
This is a proprietary project. Source code and external resources are not publicly available.