Landon Faris, “Keyboards as Tactile Feedback Devices through Solenoid Actuation”
Mentor: Jerald Thomas, Computer Science, Engineering & Applied Science (College of)
Poster #126
Keyboards have become a common interface for interacting with devices essential to daily life, providing a standard way to provide input. Digital feedback is typically received through monitors, speakers, or haptic feedback. One form of output that is rarely used is tactile feedback. This form of feedback is of particular interest to those who have impairments that limit their ability to utilize other forms of input. Keyboards can be used to provide a wide array of inputs depending on the context, but the state of those controls can only be determined through output external to the keyboard. Using a custom hall effect switch with an integrated electromagnet we can transform keyboard switches into devices that provide both input and output to the user. The ability to disable keys through automatic actuation opens the door for increased accessibility and user experience. We found that small electromagnets could be used to control the actuation of keyboard sized mechanical switches without drawing an unreasonable amount of power. Heat production, power usage, electromagnet size, and switch actuation force must be carefully balanced to create switches that maintain a natural keyboard experience. The implementation of self-actuating switches would allow for a keyboard that is indistinguishable from current input devices while reliably acting as a device for tactile output. The output of these devices would enable applications such as providing general haptic feedback, providing accessibility features, or creating a keyboard with dynamic force characteristics.