Response to Mr. Freeman on Optacons:
I am for preserving the "direct translation" feature of the Optacon -- and the Stereotoner, for that matter. If we want a Preprocessing Switch, so be it, but the magic of the original device was as you say, Mike, use of the human "wet ware" to make out
the page.
By the way, the choice of vibration was done for engineering reasons, not because it is scientifically chosen to be the best. It turns out that vibration stimulates nerves deeper in the skin -- nerves that are not ideal for sensing position of the
stimulus. Thus, a "static tactor" (able to be actuated rapidly, but which would not vibrate) may indeed be better and less fateaguing.
Bill Gerrey
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