What do designers of the best immersive experiences know? They have learned that large area haptic feedback makes the experience more real, more personal, and much more fun. This is why you see great haptic feedback in immersive VR experiences, military/commercial training simulators, theme park attractions, gaming rigs, and home theaters. We have been working with these designers for the last 25 years. We would like to share some of what we have learned about applying large area haptic feedback. Let’s look at the question, “What is the best TST (Tactile Sound Transducer) for my project?”
One of the first things you need to determine is the seating or flooring materials that will you be activating. Some materials transmit vibrations extremely well, like hard woods, fiberglass, and plywood. Other materials resist vibration transmission and need a more powerful transducer to overcome the resistance. Materials like heavy plastics and thick foams often require the TST329 Gold Transducer and the TST429 Platinum Transducer. In our experience, oak will transmit a very broad range of audio frequencies very well. Steel has a limited frequency response, based on type, thickness, etc. Seating with very
thick padding will resist transmitting vibrations more than seating with thinner padding. As an example, an overstuffed sofa will need a more powerful TST than a euro-style chair.
Second, what kind of experience are you trying to create? If you are providing haptic feedback during the experience without the haptics diverting your customer’s attention, then the mid to lower power TSTs, such as the TST329 Gold Transducer, may work for you. If you are wanting to powerfully feel explosive actions, then you will certainly need the TST429 Platinum Transducer.
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Of course, if you have any questions, please contact us. We are delighted to help