  Sensory substitution has influenced the design of many tactile visual
substitution systems with the aim of offering visual aids for the blind. This
paper focuses on whether a novel electromagnetic vibrotactile display, a four
by four vibrotactile matrix of taxels, can serve as an aid for dynamic
communication for visually impaired people. A mixed methods approach was used
to firstly assess whether pattern complexity affected undergraduate
participants' perceptive success, and secondly, if participants total score
positively correlated with their perceived success ratings. A thematic analysis
was also conducted on participants' experiences with the vibrotactile display
and what methods of interaction they used. The results indicated that complex
patterns were less accurately perceived than simple and linear patterns
respectively, and no significant correlation was found between participants'
score and perceived success ratings. Additionally, most participants interacted
with the vibrotactile display in similar ways using one finger to feel one
taxel at a time; arguably, the most effective strategy from previous research.
This technology could have applications to navigational and communication aids
for the visually impaired and road users.
