Abstract
We present a miniature haptic module based on electrorheological fluid, designed for conveying combined stiffness and vibrotactile sensations at a small scale. Haptic feedback is produced through electrorheological fluid’s controllable resistive force and varies with the actuator’s deformation. To demonstrate the proposed actuator’s feedback in realistic applications, a method for measuring the actuator’s deformation must be implemented for active control. To this end, in this study, we incorporate a sensor design based on a bend-sensitive resistive film to the ER haptic actuator. The combined actuator and sensor module was tested for its ability to simultaneously actuate and sense the actuator’s state under indentation. The results show that the bend sensor can accurately track the actuator’s displacement over its stroke. Thus, the proposed sensor may enable control of the output resistive force according to displacement, which may lead to more informed and engaging combined kinesthetic and tactile feedback.
Highlights
The recent rise in accessible, consumer-grade virtual reality has increased demand for haptic devices that can enhance user experience
Haptic feedback can benefit a variety of applications, including virtual reality, and machine teleoperation, training tools and simulators, gaming, accessibility, and entertainment [3,4,5,6,7,8]
Vibrating actuators are capable of notifying users and even invoking haptic illusions [11,12,13], but they fall short of delivering truly realistic haptic feedback
Summary
The recent rise in accessible, consumer-grade virtual reality has increased demand for haptic devices that can enhance user experience. Haptic feedback provides a more immersive experience by stimulating users through an additional and often underutilized sensory channel: touch. The ability to feel and manipulate objects in an environment (real or virtual), such as feeling the stiffness of squeezing a tennis ball in one’s hand or feeling the opposing force of pushing open a heavy door, gives users a more realistic sensory experience. This is especially true when combined with the more common visual and auditory feedback [1,2]. Tactile feedback is sensed by mechanoreceptors in the skin and provides information related to vibration, surface roughness, and textures [15,16]
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