Haptic technology

About: Haptic technology is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 18818 publications have been published within this topic receiving 306713 citations. The topic is also known as: haptics & haptic media.

A Collaborative Virtual Environment for the Simulation of Temporal Bone Surgery

Abstract: We describe a framework for training-oriented simulation of temporal bone surgery. Bone dissection is simulated visually and haptically, using a hybrid data representation that allows smooth surfaces to be maintained for graphic rendering while volumetric data is used for haptic feedback. Novel sources of feedback are incorporated into the simulation platform, including synthetic drill sounds based on experimental data and simulated monitoring of virtual nerve bundles. Realistic behavior is modeled for a variety of surgical drill burrs, rendering the environment suitable for training low-level drilling skills. The system allows two users to independently observe and manipulate a common model, and allows one user to experience the forces generated by the other’s contact with the bone surface. This permits an instructor to remotely observe a trainee and provide real-time feedback and demonstration.

The Pantograph Mk-II: a haptic instrument

Abstract: We describe the redesign and the performance evaluation of a high-performance haptic device system called the Pantograph. The device is based on a two degree-of-freedom parallel mechanism which was designed for optimized dynamic performance, but which also is well kinematically conditioned. The results show that the system is capable of producing accurate tactile signals in the DC-400 Hz range and can resolve displacements of the order of 10 /spl mu/m. Future improvements are discussed.

A new wearable fingertip haptic interface for the rendering of virtual shapes and surface features

Abstract: This work presents the Haptic Thimble, a novel wearable haptic device for surface exploration. The Haptic Thimble combines rendering of surface orientation with fast transient and wide frequency bandwidth tactile cues. Such features allow surface exploration with rich tactile feedback, including reactive contact — no contact transition, rendering of collisions, surface asperities and textures. Above capabilities were obtained through a novel serial kinematics wrapped around the finger, actuated by compact servo motor for orienting the last link, and by a custom voice coil for actuating the plate in contact with the fingerpad. Performance of the voice coil were measured at the bench in static and dynamic conditions, assessing the capability of reproducing generic, wide-bandwidth (0–300 Hz) tactile cues. Overall usability of the Haptic Thimble was explored within a virtual environment involving exploration of virtual surfaces. Finally, a perceptual experiment executed in a teleoperated environment with kinesthetic feedback, showed that the addition of tactile feedback, provided through the Haptic Thimble, significantly improved performance of an exploratory task.

Haptic feedback projection system

Abstract: This Haptic Projection System (HPS) synchronizes single impulses and vibrations transmitted through the surface material of the touch sensitive display. Impulse generators spaced equally around the edges of the screen can, by adjusting their relative intensities and timing, focus the impulses or vibrations to an approximate point, or series of points out on the screen surface. By focusing convergent haptic vibration patterns on the appropriate location, a sense of tactility, solidity, shape and even resistance and texture can be imbued in on-screen objects and controls being manipulated anywhere on the display surface.

Engineering Haptic Devices

Abstract: This chapter introduces the philosophical and social aspects of the human haptic sense as a basis for systems addressing this human sensory channel. Several definitions of haptics as a perception and interaction modality are reviewed to serve as a common basis in the course of the book. Typical application areas such as telepresence, training, and interaction with virtual environments and communications are presented, and typical haptic systems from these are reviewed. The use of haptics in technical systems is the topic of this book. But what is haptics in the first place? A common and general definition is given as Definition Haptics Haptics describes the sense of touch and movement and the (mechanical) interactions involving these. but this will probably not suffice for the purpose of this book. This chapter gives a detailed insight into the definition of haptics (Sect. 1.2) and introduces four general classes of applications for haptic systems (Sect. 1.3) as the motivation for the design of haptic systems and—ultimately—for this book. Before that, we give a short summary of the philosophical and social aspects of this human sense (Sect. 1.1). These topics are not addressed any further in this book, but should be kept in mind by every engineer working on haptics. C. Hatzfeld (B) Institute of Electromechanical Design, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Merckstr. 25, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany e-mail: c.hatzfeld@hapticdevices.eu T.A. Kern Continental Automotive GmbH, VDO-Straße 1, 64832 Babenhausen, Germany e-mail: t.kern@hapticdevices.eu © Springer-Verlag London 2014 C. Hatzfeld and T.A. Kern (eds.), Engineering Haptic Devices, Springer Series on Touch and Haptic Systems, DOI 10.1007/978-1-4471-6518-7_1 3 4 C. Hatzfeld and T.A. Kern 1.1 Philosophical and Social Aspects An engineer tends to describe haptics primarily in terms of forces, elongations, frequencies, mechanical tensions, and shear forces. This of course makes sense and is important for the technical design process. However, haptics starts before that. Haptic perception ranges from minor interactions in everyday life, e.g., drinking from a glass or writing this text, to a means of social communication, e.g., shaking hands or giving someone a pat on the shoulder, and very personal and private interpersonal experiences. This section deals with the spectrum and influence haptics has on humans beyond the technological descriptions. It is also a hint for the development engineer, to be responsible and conscious when considering the capabilities to fool the haptic sense. 1.1.1 Haptics as a Physical Being’s Boundary Haptics is derived from the Greek term “haptios” and describes “something which can be touched.” In fact, the consciousness about and understanding of the haptic sense has changed many times in the history of humanity. Aristoteles puts the sense of touch in the last place when naming the five senses: 1. Sight 2. Hearing 3. Smell 4. Taste 5. Touch Nevertheless, he attests this sense a high importance concerning its indispensability as early as 350 BC [2]: Some classes of animals have all the senses, some only certain of them, others only one, the most indispensable, touch. The social estimation of the sense of touch experienced all imaginable phases. Frequently, it was afflicted with the blemish of squalor, as lust is transmitted by it [91]: Sight differs from touch by its virginity, such as hearing differs from smell and taste: and in the same way their lust-sensation differs. It was also called the sense of excess [33]. In a general subdivision between lower and higher senses, touch was almost constantly ranged within the lower class. In Western civilization, the church once stigmatized this sense as forbidden due to the pleasure which can be gained by it. However, in the eighteenth century, the public opinion changed and Kant [49] is cited with the following statement: This sense is the only one with an immediate exterior perception; due to this it is the most important and the most teaching one, but also the roughest. Without this sensing organ we would be able to grasp our physical shape, whose perception the other two first class senses (sight and hearing) have to be referred to, to generate some knowledge from experience. 1 Motivation and Application of Haptic Systems 5 Kant thus emphasizes the central function of the sense of touch. It is capable of teaching the spatial perception of our environment. Only touch enables us to feel and classify impressions collected with the help of other senses, put them into context, and understand spatial concepts. Although stereoscopic vision and hearing develop early, the first-time interpretation of what we see and hear requires connection between both impressions perceived independently and information about distances between objects. This can only be provided by a sense, which can bridge the space between a being and an object. Such a sense is the sense of touch. The skin, being a part of this sense, covers a human’s complete surface and defines his or her physical boundary, the physical being. 1.1.2 Formation of the Sense of Touch As mentioned in the previous section, the sense of touch has numerous functions. The knowledge of these functions enables the engineer to formulate demands on the technical system. It is helpful to consider the whole range of purposes the haptic sense serves. However, at this point, we do not yet choose an approach by measuring its characteristics, but observe the properties of objects discriminated by it. The sense of touch is not only specialized in the perception of the physical boundaries of the body, as said before, but also in the analysis of the immediate surroundings, including the objects present and their properties. Humans and their predecessors had to be able to discriminate, e.g., the structure of fruits and leaves by touch, in order to identify their ripeness or whether they were edible or not, e.g., a furry berry among smooth ones. The haptic sense enables us to identify a potentially harming structure, e.g., a spiny seed, and to be careful when touching it, in order to obtain its content despite its dangerous needles. For this reason, the sense of touch has been optimized for the perception and discrimination of surface properties, e.g., roughness. Surface properties may range from smooth ceramic-like or lacquered surfaces with structural widths in the range of some micrometers, to somewhat structured surfaces such as coated tables and rough surfaces as in coarsely woven cord textiles with mesh apertures in the range of several millimeters. Humans have developed a typical way to interact with these surfaces enabling them to draw conclusions based on the underlying perception mechanism. A human moves his or her finger along a surface (see Fig. 1.1), allowing shear forces Fig. 1.1 Illustration for the interaction of movements, normal forces on the finger pad, and frictional coupling m