Guidelines for the design of haptic widgets

Haptic feedback has been shown to improve user performance in Graphical User Interface (GUI) targeting tasks in a number of studies. These studies have typically focused on interactions with individual targets, and it is unclear whether the performance increases reported will generalise to the more realistic situation where multiple targets are presented simultaneously. This paper addresses this issue in two ways. Firstly two empirical studies dealing with groups of haptically augmented widgets are presented. These reveal that haptic augmentations of complex widgets can reduce performance, although carefully designed feedback can result in performance improvements. The results of these studies are then used in conjunction with the previous literature to generate general design guidelines for the creation of haptic widgets

What if you are not certain? A common computation underlying action selection, reaction time and confidence judgment

From what to wear to a friend's party, to whether to stay in academia or pursue a career in industry, nearly all of our decisions are accompanied by a degree of confidence that provides an assessment of the expected outcome. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the computations underlying confidence judgment, the preponderance of studies focuses on perceptual decisions, in which individuals sequentially sample noisy information and accumulate it as evidence until a threshold is exceeded. Once a decision is made, they initiate an action to implement the choice. However, we often have to make decisions during ongoing actions in dynamic environments where the value and the availability of the alternative options can change with time and previous actions. The current study aims to decipher the computations underlying confidence judgment in action decisions that are made in a dynamic environment. Using a reaching task in which movements are initiated to multiple potential targets, we show that action selection, reaction time and choice confidence all emerge from a common computation in which parallel prepared actions compete based on the overall desirability of targets and action plans

Kinematic design of a two contact points haptic interface for the thumb and index fingers of the hand.

This paper presents an integrated approach to the kinematic design of a portable haptic interface for the thumb and index fingers of the hand. The kinematics of the haptic interface was selected on the basis of constructive reasons, design constraints, and usability issues, and in order to guarantee the best level of performance with the lowest encumbrance and weight over the workspace of the hand. The kinematic dimensioning was the result of a multi-objective optimization of several performance parameters, such as minimum required torque at actuators and maximum reachable workspace, with the simultaneous fulfillment of design constraints, such as satisfactory mechanical stiffness at the end effector, global kinematic isotropy over the workspace, and limited bulk of the device. A geometric interpretation of singularities based on screw theory was formulated to point out both hand postures and movements associated with weaker performance. The results of the paper were used to build the prototype of a new portable haptic interface with two contact points, whose main design features are also specifically presented

A white paper: NASA virtual environment research, applications, and technology

Research support for Virtual Environment technology development has been a part of NASA's human factors research program since 1985. Under the auspices of the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST), initial funding was provided to the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division, Ames Research Center, which resulted in the origination of this technology. Since 1985, other Centers have begun using and developing this technology. At each research and space flight center, NASA missions have been major drivers of the technology. This White Paper was the joint effort of all the Centers which have been involved in the development of technology and its applications to their unique missions. Appendix A is the list of those who have worked to prepare the document, directed by Dr. Cynthia H. Null, Ames Research Center, and Dr. James P. Jenkins, NASA Headquarters. This White Paper describes the technology and its applications in NASA Centers (Chapters 1, 2 and 3), the potential roles it can take in NASA (Chapters 4 and 5), and a roadmap of the next 5 years (FY 1994-1998). The audience for this White Paper consists of managers, engineers, scientists and the general public with an interest in Virtual Environment technology. Those who read the paper will determine whether this roadmap, or others, are to be followed

Assessment of a hand exoskeleton on proximal and distal training in virtual environments for robot mediated upper extremity rehabilitation

Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States with approximately 800,000 cases per year. This cerebral vascular accident results in neurological impairments that reduce limb function and limit the daily independence of the individual. Evidence suggests that therapeutic interventions with repetitive motor training can aid in functional recovery of the paretic limb. Robotic rehabilitation may present an exercise intervention that can improve training and induce motor plasticity in individuals with stroke. An active (motorized) hand exoskeleton that provides support for wrist flexion/extension, abduction/adduction, pronation/supination, and finger pinch is integrated with a pre-existing 3-Degree of Freedom (DOF) haptic robot (Haptic Master, FCS Moog) to determine the efficacy of increased DOF during proximal and distal training in Upper Extremity (UE) rehabilitation. Subjects are randomly assigned into four groups to evaluate the significance of increased DOF during virtual training: Haptic Master control group (HM), Haptic Master with Gripper (HMG), Haptic Master with Wrist (HMW), and Haptic Master with Gripper and Wrist (HMWG). Each subject group performs a Pick and Place Task in a virtual environment where the distal hand exoskeleton is mapped to the virtual representation of the hand. Subjects are instructed to transport as many virtual cubes as possible to a specified target in the allotted time period of 120s. Three cube sizes are assessed to determine efficacy of the assistive end-effector. An additional virtual task, Mailbox Task, is performed to determine the effect of training and the ability to transfer skills between virtual settings in an unfamiliar environment. The effects of viewing mediums are also investigated to determine the effect of immersion on performance using an Oculus Rift as an HMD compared to conventional projection displays. It is hypothesized that individuals with both proximal and complete distal hand control (HMWG) will see increased benefit during the Pick and Place Task than individuals without the complete distal attachment, as assisted daily living tasks are often accomplished with coordinated arm and hand movement. The purpose of this study is to investigate the additive effect of increased degrees of freedom at the hand through task-specific training of the upper arm in a virtual environment, validate the ability to transfer skills obtained in a virtual environment to an untrained task, and determine the effects of viewing mediums on performance. A feasibility study is conducted in individuals with stroke to determine if the modular gripper can assist pinch movements. These investigations represent a comprehensive investigation to assess the potential benefits of assistive devices in a virtual reality setting to retrain lost function and increase efficacy in motor control in populations with motor impairments

Review of the Augmented Reality Systems for Shoulder Rehabilitation

Literature shows an increasing interest for the development of augmented reality (AR) applications in several fields, including rehabilitation. Current studies show the need for new rehabilitation tools for upper extremity, since traditional interventions are less effective than in other body regions. This review aims at: Studying to what extent AR applications are used in shoulder rehabilitation, examining wearable/non-wearable technologies employed, and investigating the evidence supporting AR effectiveness. Nine AR systems were identified and analyzed in terms of: Tracking methods, visualization technologies, integrated feedback, rehabilitation setting, and clinical evaluation. Our findings show that all these systems utilize vision-based registration, mainly with wearable marker-based tracking, and spatial displays. No system uses head-mounted displays, and only one system (11%) integrates a wearable interface (for tactile feedback). Three systems (33%) provide only visual feedback; 66% present visual-audio feedback, and only 33% of these provide visual-audio feedback, 22% visual-audio with biofeedback, and 11% visual-audio with haptic feedback. Moreover, several systems (44%) are designed primarily for home settings. Three systems (33%) have been successfully evaluated in clinical trials with more than 10 patients, showing advantages over traditional rehabilitation methods. Further clinical studies are needed to generalize the obtained findings, supporting the effectiveness of the AR applications

Unconstrained design: improving multitasking with in-vehicle information systems through enhanced situation awareness

In the age of information, in-vehicle multitasking is inevitable. The popularity of the automobile in combination with the demands of everyday life presents a demand to do more than simply focus on the road. Situation Awareness (SA) is a theory that allows designers to understand how operators interact in dynamic, complex environments. Unconstrained Design is proposed as a way of enhancing multitasking performance in-vehicle. This paper presents an experimental investigation into human-machine interface concepts that aim to support drivers to multitask in-vehicle when frequent task switching is required. Two SA-based approaches were investigated, one which focussed on supporting preparation for a Non-Driving Related Activity (NDRA), and one which focussed on supporting the Driving Related Activity (DRA) when an NDRA is active. While multitasking, Contextual Cueing, using a Head-up Display, produced significant reductions in NDRA response time while an auditory lane keeping aid increased the amount of time a driver spent in the central region of a lane. This provides evidence to suggest that using SA and Unconstrained Design as a philosophy for the design of IVIS that supports drivers’ ability to multitask in-vehicle, could lead to task performance improvements.Jaguar Land Rove

Advancing proxy-based haptic feedback in virtual reality

This thesis advances haptic feedback for Virtual Reality (VR). Our work is guided by Sutherland's 1965 vision of the ultimate display, which calls for VR systems to control the existence of matter. To push towards this vision, we build upon proxy-based haptic feedback, a technique characterized by the use of passive tangible props. The goal of this thesis is to tackle the central drawback of this approach, namely, its inflexibility, which yet hinders it to fulfill the vision of the ultimate display. Guided by four research questions, we first showcase the applicability of proxy-based VR haptics by employing the technique for data exploration. We then extend the VR system's control over users' haptic impressions in three steps. First, we contribute the class of Dynamic Passive Haptic Feedback (DPHF) alongside two novel concepts for conveying kinesthetic properties, like virtual weight and shape, through weight-shifting and drag-changing proxies. Conceptually orthogonal to this, we study how visual-haptic illusions can be leveraged to unnoticeably redirect the user's hand when reaching towards props. Here, we contribute a novel perception-inspired algorithm for Body Warping-based Hand Redirection (HR), an open-source framework for HR, and psychophysical insights. The thesis concludes by proving that the combination of DPHF and HR can outperform the individual techniques in terms of the achievable flexibility of the proxy-based haptic feedback.Diese Arbeit widmet sich haptischem Feedback für Virtual Reality (VR) und ist inspiriert von Sutherlands Vision des ultimativen Displays, welche VR-Systemen die Fähigkeit zuschreibt, Materie kontrollieren zu können. Um dieser Vision näher zu kommen, baut die Arbeit auf dem Konzept proxy-basierter Haptik auf, bei der haptische Eindrücke durch anfassbare Requisiten vermittelt werden. Ziel ist es, diesem Ansatz die für die Realisierung eines ultimativen Displays nötige Flexibilität zu verleihen. Dazu bearbeiten wir vier Forschungsfragen und zeigen zunächst die Anwendbarkeit proxy-basierter Haptik durch den Einsatz der Technik zur Datenexploration. Anschließend untersuchen wir in drei Schritten, wie VR-Systeme mehr Kontrolle über haptische Eindrücke von Nutzern erhalten können. Hierzu stellen wir Dynamic Passive Haptic Feedback (DPHF) vor, sowie zwei Verfahren, die kinästhetische Eindrücke wie virtuelles Gewicht und Form durch Gewichtsverlagerung und Veränderung des Luftwiderstandes von Requisiten vermitteln. Zusätzlich untersuchen wir, wie visuell-haptische Illusionen die Hand des Nutzers beim Greifen nach Requisiten unbemerkt umlenken können. Dabei stellen wir einen neuen Algorithmus zur Body Warping-based Hand Redirection (HR), ein Open-Source-Framework, sowie psychophysische Erkenntnisse vor. Abschließend zeigen wir, dass die Kombination von DPHF und HR proxy-basierte Haptik noch flexibler machen kann, als es die einzelnen Techniken alleine können

Change blindness: eradication of gestalt strategies

Arrays of eight, texture-defined rectangles were used as stimuli in a one-shot change blindness (CB) task where there was a 50% chance that one rectangle would change orientation between two successive presentations separated by an interval. CB was eliminated by cueing the target rectangle in the first stimulus, reduced by cueing in the interval and unaffected by cueing in the second presentation. This supports the idea that a representation was formed that persisted through the interval before being 'overwritten' by the second presentation (Landman et al, 2003 Vision Research 43149–164]. Another possibility is that participants used some kind of grouping or Gestalt strategy. To test this we changed the spatial position of the rectangles in the second presentation by shifting them along imaginary spokes (by ±1 degree) emanating from the central fixation point. There was no significant difference seen in performance between this and the standard task [F(1,4)=2.565, p=0.185]. This may suggest two things: (i) Gestalt grouping is not used as a strategy in these tasks, and (ii) it gives further weight to the argument that objects may be stored and retrieved from a pre-attentional store during this task