Electron Reactive Coating

[LadyJennifer]

Hi I am neither a chemist nor an engineer but.......
I have an idea that could help many disabled people.....
But!!!!!
I need to find a safe material that will "swell" when stimulated by electrons.

Can any one help, Please



Would piezoelectric ceramic or plastic do?

I,m not sure. Plastic might, I was looking to use a form of membrane. The idea is not dissimilar to the coloured dots that coat the inside of a tv screen except the "swelling" rether than glowing.

Jennifer

 

[Jabberwocky]

http://www.robotstore.com/mwfaq.asp

Muscle wires and really any sort of "memory metal" seems to fit what you are mentioning.

There are also some electropolymers that convert pressure to electricity and vice versa.

 

[LadyJennifer]

Thankyou Jabberwocky,
To me the electropolymers sound the more hopeful but then I am unlearned.
I appologise if I have seemed overly cautious but I have nursed this idea for some years. Perhaps knowing the product will be more helpfull.
The product I am looking to produce is a braille VDU.

Jennifer.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Do you mean something like the display table shown in the movie X-Men? They used computer graphics of course but their concept appeared magnetic.

I wonder if such a think could be accomplished electro-mechanically by using those contour-mapping pin toys you used to see in Sharper Image:

http://www.officeplayground.com/pinart.html

You could concievably mount a tiny (MEMS?) linear actuator on each pin, and ideally get a pretty good resolution.
Neat idea!

 

[LadyJennifer]

I didn't see the movie...........unfortunately!!

There was a mechanical system used back in the '80's, but that was basically a strip 1" x 6" and gave the braille version of letters only.

I envisage either pre coating at the manufacture of VDU (Visual Display Unit) in addition to the current coating (for colour) or a membrane that can be fixed to the CRT CCathode Ray Tube) of said VDU. I imagine that software might be required to enlarge the displayed characters to approximately 0.5 cm. Effectively creating a physical interpretation of the visual display.

Jennifer

 

[Jabberwocky]

So you want to translate a visual signal into a depth map? How would you resolve contrast issues or color info?

I was just envisioning an electronic "piece of paper" that could display any given Braille data by changing its contour.

Either way, a neat idea. It's also neat to see how we are each coming at the idea from our own (mechanical v. chemical) schools of thought.

 

[LadyJennifer]

Thanks for the "schools of thought" compliment, but I feel unworthy....... Despite having held a strong interest in chemistry and physics over the last 20 odd years I have little in terms of formalised learning.

Thus I come cap in hand to the ex-sperts.

This is where I am looking for suitable coating materials with varying responses to the electron gun. I am hoping that by mixing their differing properties I will allow for texturing of the image which should provide an indication of the different aspects of the visual image. Hopefully there will be at least three suitable such materials for each of the guns in a crt.

Jennifer