Kinesthetic Illusion of Being Pulled Sensation Enables Haptic Navigation for Broad Social Applications

Many handheld force-feedback devices have been proposed to provide a rich experience with mobile devices. However, previously reported devices have been unable to generate both constant and translational force. They can only generate transient rotational force since they use a change in angular momentum. Here, we exploit the nonlinearity of human perception to generate both constant and translational force. Specifically, a strong acceleration is generated for a very brief period in the desired direction, while a weaker acceleration is generated over a longer period in the opposite direction. The internal human haptic sensors do not detect the weaker acceleration, so the original position of the mass is \"washed out\". The result is that the user is tricked into perceiving a unidirectional force. This force can be made continuous by repeating the motions. This chapter describes the pseudoattraction force technique, which is a new force feedback technique that enables mobile devices to create a the sensation of two-dimensional force. A prototype was fabricated in which four slider-crank mechanism pairs were arranged in a cross shape and embedded in a force feedback display. Each slider-crank mechanism generates a force vector. By using the sum of the generated vectors, which are linearly independent, the force feedback display can create a force sensation in any arbitrary direction on a two-dimensional plane. We also introduce an interactive application with the force feedback display, an interactive robot, and a vision-based positioning system

Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2020, held in Leiden, The Netherlands, in September 2020. The 60 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 111 submissions. The were organized in topical sections on haptic science, haptic technology, and haptic applications. This year's focus is on accessibility

Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2020, held in Leiden, The Netherlands, in September 2020. The 60 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 111 submissions. The were organized in topical sections on haptic science, haptic technology, and haptic applications. This year's focus is on accessibility

Haptics: Science, Technology, Applications

This open access book constitutes the proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Human Haptic Sensing and Touch Enabled Computer Applications, EuroHaptics 2022, held in Hamburg, Germany, in May 2022. The 36 regular papers included in this book were carefully reviewed and selected from 129 submissions. They were organized in topical sections as follows: haptic science; haptic technology; and haptic applications

Somatic ABC's: A Theoretical Framework for Designing, Developing and Evaluating the Building Blocks of Touch-Based Information Delivery

abstract: Situations of sensory overload are steadily becoming more frequent as the ubiquity of technology approaches reality--particularly with the advent of socio-communicative smartphone applications, and pervasive, high speed wireless networks. Although the ease of accessing information has improved our communication effectiveness and efficiency, our visual and auditory modalities--those modalities that today's computerized devices and displays largely engage--have become overloaded, creating possibilities for distractions, delays and high cognitive load; which in turn can lead to a loss of situational awareness, increasing chances for life threatening situations such as texting while driving. Surprisingly, alternative modalities for information delivery have seen little exploration. Touch, in particular, is a promising candidate given that it is our largest sensory organ with impressive spatial and temporal acuity. Although some approaches have been proposed for touch-based information delivery, they are not without limitations including high learning curves, limited applicability and/or limited expression. This is largely due to the lack of a versatile, comprehensive design theory--specifically, a theory that addresses the design of touch-based building blocks for expandable, efficient, rich and robust touch languages that are easy to learn and use. Moreover, beyond design, there is a lack of implementation and evaluation theories for such languages. To overcome these limitations, a unified, theoretical framework, inspired by natural, spoken language, is proposed called Somatic ABC's for Articulating (designing), Building (developing) and Confirming (evaluating) touch-based languages. To evaluate the usefulness of Somatic ABC's, its design, implementation and evaluation theories were applied to create communication languages for two very unique application areas: audio described movies and motor learning. These applications were chosen as they presented opportunities for complementing communication by offloading information, typically conveyed visually and/or aurally, to the skin. For both studies, it was found that Somatic ABC's aided the design, development and evaluation of rich somatic languages with distinct and natural communication units.Dissertation/ThesisPh.D. Computer Science 201

Ubiquitous haptic feedback in human-computer interaction through electrical muscle stimulation

[no abstract

Haptic perception in virtual reality in sighted and blind individuals

The incorporation of the sense of touch into virtual reality is an exciting development. However, research into this topic is in its infancy. This experimental programme investigated both the perception of virtual object attributes by touch and the parameters that influence touch perception in virtual reality with a force feedback device called the PHANTOM (TM) (www.sensable.com). The thesis had three main foci. Firstly, it aimed to provide an experimental account of the perception of the attributes of roughness, size and angular extent by touch via the PHANTOM (TM) device. Secondly, it aimed to contribute to the resolution of a number of other issues important in developing an understanding of the parameters that exert an influence on touch in virtual reality. Finally, it aimed to compare touch in virtual reality between sighted and blind individuals. This thesis comprises six experiments. Experiment one examined the perception of the roughness of virtual textures with the PHANTOM (TM) device. The effect of the following factors was addressed: the groove width of the textured stimuli; the endpoint used (stylus or thimble) with the PHANTOM (TM); the specific device used (PHANTOM (TM) vs. IE3000) and the visual status (sighted or blind) of the participants. Experiment two extended the findings of experiment one by addressing the impact of an exploration related factor on perceived roughness, that of the contact force an individual applies to a virtual texture. The interaction between this variable and the factors of groove width, endpoint, and visual status was also addressed. Experiment three examined the perception of the size and angular extent of virtual 3-D objects via the PHANTOM (TM). With respect to the perception of virtual object size, the effect of the following factors was addressed: the size of the object (2.7,3.6,4.5 cm); the type of virtual object (cube vs. sphere); the mode in which the virtual objects were presented; the endpoint used with the PHANTOM (TM) and the visual status of the participants. With respect to the perception of virtual object angular extent, the effect of the following factors was addressed: the angular extent of the object (18,41 and 64°); the endpoint used with the PHANTOM (TM) and the visual status of the participants. Experiment four examined the perception of the size and angular extent of real counterparts to the virtual 3-D objects used in experiment three. Experiment four manipulated the conditions under which participants examined the real objects. Participants were asked to give judgements of object size and angular extent via the deactivated PHANTOM (TM), a stylus probe, a bare index finger and without any constraints on their exploration. In addition to the above exploration type factor, experiment four examined the impact of the same factors on perceived size and angular extent in the real world as had been examined in virtual reality. Experiments five and six examined the consistency of the perception of linear extent across the 3-D axes in virtual space. Both experiments manipulated the following factors: Line extent (2.7,3.6 and 4.5cm); line dimension (x, y and z axis); movement type (active vs. passive movement) and visual status. Experiment six additionally manipulated the direction of movement within the 3-D axes. Perceived roughness was assessed by the method of magnitude estimation. The perceived size and angular extent of the various virtual stimuli and their real counterparts was assessed by the method of magnitude reproduction. This technique was also used to assess perceived extent across the 3-D axes. Touch perception via the PHANTOM (TM) was found to be broadly similar for sighted and blind participants. Touch perception in virtual reality was also found to be broadly similar between two different 3-D force feedback devices (the PHANTOM (TM) and the IE3000). However, the endpoint used with the PHANTOM (TM) device was found to exert significant, but inconsistent effects on the perception of virtual object attributes. Touch perception with the PHANTOM (TM) across the 3-D axes was found to be anisotropic in a similar way to the real world, with the illusion that radial extents were perceived as longer than equivalent tangential extents. The perception of 3-D object size and angular extent was found to be comparable between virtual reality and the real world, particularly under conditions where the participants' exploration of the real objects was constrained to a single point of contact. An intriguing touch illusion, whereby virtual objects explored from the inside were perceived to be larger than the same objects perceived from the outside was found to occur widely in virtual reality, in addition to the real world. This thesis contributes to knowledge of touch perception in virtual reality. The findings have interesting implications for theories of touch perception, both virtual and real

Haptics Rendering and Applications

There has been significant progress in haptic technologies but the incorporation of haptics into virtual environments is still in its infancy. A wide range of the new society's human activities including communication, education, art, entertainment, commerce and science would forever change if we learned how to capture, manipulate and reproduce haptic sensory stimuli that are nearly indistinguishable from reality. For the field to move forward, many commercial and technological barriers need to be overcome. By rendering how objects feel through haptic technology, we communicate information that might reflect a desire to speak a physically- based language that has never been explored before. Due to constant improvement in haptics technology and increasing levels of research into and development of haptics-related algorithms, protocols and devices, there is a belief that haptics technology has a promising future

Haptic Media Scenes

The aim of this thesis is to apply new media phenomenological and enactive embodied cognition approaches to explain the role of haptic sensitivity and communication in personal computer environments for productivity. Prior theory has given little attention to the role of haptic senses in influencing cognitive processes, and do not frame the richness of haptic communication in interaction design—as haptic interactivity in HCI has historically tended to be designed and analyzed from a perspective on communication as transmissions, sending and receiving haptic signals. The haptic sense may not only mediate contact confirmation and affirmation, but also rich semiotic and affective messages—yet this is a strong contrast between this inherent ability of haptic perception, and current day support for such haptic communication interfaces. I therefore ask: How do the haptic senses (touch and proprioception) impact our cognitive faculty when mediated through digital and sensor technologies? How may these insights be employed in interface design to facilitate rich haptic communication? To answer these questions, I use theoretical close readings that embrace two research fields, new media phenomenology and enactive embodied cognition. The theoretical discussion is supported by neuroscientific evidence, and tested empirically through case studies centered on digital art. I use these insights to develop the concept of the haptic figura, an analytical tool to frame the communicative qualities of haptic media. The concept gauges rich machine- mediated haptic interactivity and communication in systems with a material solution supporting active haptic perception, and the mediation of semiotic and affective messages that are understood and felt. As such the concept may function as a design tool for developers, but also for media critics evaluating haptic media. The tool is used to frame a discussion on opportunities and shortcomings of haptic interfaces for productivity, differentiating between media systems for the hand and the full body. The significance of this investigation is demonstrating that haptic communication is an underutilized element in personal computer environments for productivity and providing an analytical framework for a more nuanced understanding of haptic communication as enabling the mediation of a range of semiotic and affective messages, beyond notification and confirmation interactivity