Feeling Fireworks: An Inclusive Tactile Firework Display.

Fireworks are enjoyed throughout the world, but are primarily a visual experience. To make fireworks more inclusive for Blind and Low-Vision (BLV) persons, we have developed a large-scale interactive tactile display that produces tactile fireworks. Fast dynamic tactile effects are created at high spatial resolution, using directable nozzles that spray water jets onto the rear of a flexible screen. The screen furthermore has back-projected visual content and touch interaction. A BLV focus group provided input during the development process, and a user study with BLV users showed that Feeling Fireworks is an enjoyable and meaningful experience. Quotes from blind users include " First time to get the feeling of what's happening in the sky. Fountain - awesome, first time had a feeling of that is what is a fountain.", "My mom always told me about fireworks but now I understand it. " and " Now I know why people like fireworks ." Beyond the Feeling Firework application, this is a novel approach for scalable tactile displays with potential for broader use.