Interactive Devices Research Articles

Multimodal 5‐DOF Stretchable Electromagnetic Actuators toward Haptic Information Delivery

AbstractThe rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly in the domains of robotics, prosthetics, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), have driven an escalating demand for intuitive and effective human–machine interactions. Consequently, haptic devices, being electronic displays for the sense of touch, have drawn increasing attention. More efforts are in demand to develop stretchable and lightweight haptic devices that can trigger multiple mechanical cutaneous receptors using a single device. This work presents a new 3‐modal 5‐DOF stretchable haptic interface that is enabled by electromagnetic actuators and high‐fidelity multi‐layer metal printing. The haptic device renders rich haptic sensations (i.e., normal force, vibration, angular force, skin dragging) in one device, allowing for the comprehensive delivery of tactile information through the excitation of multiple cutaneous receptors. Additionally, haptic devices are designed to be compact, lightweight, and skin‐compatible. The skin‐like softness and stretchability enable intimate skin contact, which is crucial for efficient haptic information delivery. This feature prevents the impediment to natural movements of the skin and ensures the functional integrity of the device during daily deformations of the skin. Finally, three proof‐of‐concept demonstrations illustrate the potential of the reported multimodal haptic devices for advanced haptic interactions across various domains.

Wearable and interactive multicolored photochromic fiber display

Endowing flexible and adaptable fiber devices with light-emitting capabilities has the potential to revolutionize the current design philosophy of intelligent, wearable interactive devices. However, significant challenges remain in developing fiber devices when it comes to achieving uniform and customizable light effects while utilizing lightweight hardware. Here, we introduce a mass-produced, wearable, and interactive photochromic fiber that provides uniform multicolored light control. We designed independent waveguides inside the fiber to maintain total internal reflection of light as it traverses the fiber. The impact of excessive light leakage on the overall illuminance can be reduced by utilizing the saturable absorption effect of fluorescent materials to ensure light emission uniformity along the transmission direction. In addition, we coupled various fluorescent composite materials inside the fiber to achieve artificially controllable spectral radiation of multiple color systems in a single fiber. We prepared fibers on mass-produced kilometer-long using the thermal drawing method. The fibers can be directly integrated into daily wearable devices or clothing in various patterns and combined with other signal input components to control and display patterns as needed. This work provides a new perspective and inspiration to the existing field of fiber display interaction, paving the way for future human–machine integration.

HoberUI: An Exploration of Kinematic Structures as Interactive Input Devices

Deployable kinematic structures can transform themselves from a small closed configuration to a large deployed one. These structures are widely used in many engineering fields including aerospace, architecture, robotics and to some extent within HCI. In this paper, we investigate the use of a symmetric spherical deployable structure and its application to interface control. We present HoberUI, a bimanual symmetric tangible interface with 7 degrees of freedom and explore its use for manipulating 3D environments. We base this on the toy version of the deployable structure called the Hoberman sphere, which consists of pantographic scissor mechanisms and is capable of homogeneous shrinkage and expansion. We first explore the space for designing and implementing interactions through such kinematic structures and apply this to 3D object manipulation. We then explore HoberUI’s usability through a user evaluation that shows the intuitiveness and potential of using instrumented kinematic structures as input devices for bespoke applications.

Interface Engineering for Enhancing Air‐Stable Spin‐Charge Interaction in Molecular Spin‐Photovoltaic Devices

AbstractMolecular semiconductors (MSCs) are known as ideal candidates for constructing room‐temperature spin‐charge interactive devices due to their long spin lifetimes and abundant photoelectric properties. These devices can achieve novel and valuable functionalities such as room‐temperature supply units of fully spin‐polarized current. Unfortunately, their performances (sub‐0.1 nA) remain unsatisfactory due to limited charge and spin injection efficiency, which can hardly be improved despite great efforts thus far. Herein, from the theoretical side, an interfacial tunnel layer with precisely‐controlled barrier in spintronic devices may simultaneously enhance spin and charge injection. Accordingly, a solution‐processed small molecule with smooth morphology and amorphous structure is introduced to form a uniform and well‐controllable barrier in molecular spin‐photovoltaic devices. By modulating the thickness to effectively control the barrier, both spin and charge injection efficiency increase by > 150%. Thus, the spin‐charge interactive functionalities as supply units of fully spin‐polarized current have also been significantly improved than the current record at room temperature, the output fully spin‐polarized current (>2 nA) is 1200%‐larger, and the output power increases by > 50 times. Moreover, the interface‐modified spintronic devices exhibit excellent stability even after 70 days of exposure to air, which is essential for practical applications in the future.

Current status and future prospects of SLAM technology in the field of blind navigation

This comprehensive review paper explores the progressive integration of Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) technology within the realm of blind navigation. The study delves into the current landscape of research and practical implementations where SLAM techniques are harnessed to empower visually impaired individuals in navigating their surroundings. The paper takes a focused approach by elucidating the advancements achieved through RGB-D-based SLAM navigation systems and the intriguing developments within the realm of LSD-SLAM-based navigation. A paramount facet of this exploration involves the design and deployment of interactive devices that bridge the gap between blind individuals and navigation systems. Notably, the paper examines the intricacies of these interaction interfaces, highlighting their pivotal role in enhancing the efficacy and user-friendliness of SLAM-driven navigation. Furthermore, this review critically assesses the existing limitations that persist within the current application of SLAM technology for blind navigation. The discussion encompasses challenges related to environmental diversity, real-time processing constraints, and the need for robustness in complex scenarios. By acknowledging these limitations, the paper paves the way for a comprehensive examination of potential avenues for refinement and enhancement. In conclusion, this paper serves as a comprehensive guide to the progressive incorporation of SLAM technology into blind navigation. It underscores the transformative potential of RGB-D and LSD-SLAM systems, underscores the significance of interaction interfaces, and underscores the evolving trajectory towards a more inclusive and efficient navigation solution for the visually impaired.

An Immersive Virtual Reality Simulator for Echocardiography Examination

Echocardiography is a medical examination that uses ultrasound to assess and diagnose the structure and function of the cardiac. Through the use of ultrasound waves, this examination allows medical professionals to create visualizations of the cardiac muscle, enabling them to diagnose and monitor conditions such as cardiac diseases, abnormalities, and functional disorders. An echocardiogram plays a crucial role in the early detection and diagnosis of various cardiac issues such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, valvular cardiac disease, and myocardial hypertrophy. It significantly contributes to determining treatment and management strategies. To achieve accurate disease diagnosis and develop appropriate treatment plans through echocardiography, it is essential to have a thorough understanding of proper probe usage, the precise acquisition of echocardiographic images, and the ability to interpret various echocardiographic examinations such as two-dimensional, M-mode, Doppler, etc. To enhance the skills required for echocardiography, medical educational institutions conduct theoretical classes, practical sessions using patient models, and clinical practice sessions with actual patients. However, issues such as inadequate practical adaptation due to theory-centric education, limitations in practical opportunities due to insufficient practice equipment, ethical or safety concerns arising during clinical practice, and a lack of educators leading to insufficient feedback, are currently being encountered. Hence, there is a need for new educational methods that can address the existing challenges in echocardiography education. In this paper, as part of these efforts, we propose a virtual reality-based immersive simulator for practical echocardiography training. The proposed echocardiography simulator allows users to explore a virtual echocardiography examination space by wearing a head-mounted display (HMD). This simulator consists of 3D virtual space models, interactive models manipulated by interaction devices, and 3D patient models containing normal or abnormal anatomical cardiac models. Using interactive devices such as HMD controllers and haptic devices, users can manipulate 3D models related to echocardiography within the simulator and interact with 3D patient models containing normal or abnormal anatomical cardiac models, allowing for the practice of echocardiography examinations. Ultimately, a performance evaluation of the developed immersive virtual reality simulator and usability validation targeting medical university students were conducted. The evaluation and validation results confirmed the potential efficacy of the proposed echocardiography VR simulator.

Moving from informal talk to performance: The use of musical prompting as an interaction device for resuming practice in musical theatre rehearsals

In research on communication in music lessons, masterclasses, and rehearsals, there is a growing focus on multimodal interaction using conversation analysis (CA), where the combination of talk and embodied actions (e.g., using musical instruments, gestures, voice, and score) provides the opportunity to study this complex area in microscopic detail and the potential for findings to inform practice. A methodological approach informed by CA was used to explore processes in peer-led musical theatre rehearsals in a university, where students adopted the roles of both musical director and performer. The data consisted of 12 hr of video-recordings of rehearsals that took place over the course of 5 weeks and involved 24 participants; the data were analyzed to identify patterns in relation to informal interruptions (talking that did not relate to the task at hand) that occurred during the rehearsals, and how they were managed by the student director so that rehearsing could be resumed. Management often involved musical prompting as part of a three-stage sequence: (1) orienting to the piano, (2) giving directives, and (3) initiating performance. The directors’ prompts included vocalizing, playing the piano accompaniment, and making bodily movements. These actions served to capture the performers’ attention, interrupt the informal talk, bring the focus back to performing, and indicate performers’ starting notes. The director completed the sequence by initiating a run-through of the previously rehearsed segment of the performance. The findings not only have implications for students’ management of rehearsals but also highlight the value of studying multimodal rehearsal interactions and techniques generally to ensure effective and efficient delivery in typically time-constrained rehearsal periods.

Human Resource Management for Interactive Devices in Hypertext Systems Based on Virtual Reality and Big Mobile Data

Human Resource Management for Interactive Devices in Hypertext Systems Based on Virtual Reality and Big Mobile Data

Влияние цифровых технологий на развитие танцевального направления занятости в Китае

The first attempts to create interactive devices that allow interacting with simulated reality or supplementing reality with superimposed information were made at the beginning of the XX century, the concept of mixed reality ("the continuum of reality-virtuality), the elements of which are AR and VR in the modern view, is quite young (24 years), as well as the market of technologies themselves virtual and augmented reality. And although the concepts and concepts of virtual and augmented reality have not undergone radical changes over the past 30 years, virtual and augmented reality technologies have gone through a significant evolutionary path both in terms of improving devices and software, and content, and have already experienced several growth spurts. Their use will not be limited only to the sphere of entertainment and games. Many experts believe that virtual and augmented reality technologies, along with BigData, cloud technologies, artificial intelligence and some others, will become key technologies of the quadruple industrial revolution.

Tribotronic Vertical Field‐Effect Transistor Based on van der Waals Heterostructures

AbstractGraphene has attracted considerable interest for next‐generation electronics. However, the absence of natural bandgap has limited the current on/off ratio of graphene‐based transistors. Vertical integration of 2D heterostructures offers a promising approach to address this challenge, enabling high‐current‐density vertical field‐effect transistor (VFET) with large on/off ratio. Here, a triboelectric potential‐powered VFET with a vertical stacked graphene/MoS2 heterostructure and a sliding‐mode triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) coupled with gate dielectrics are proposed. The tribotronic VFET has an ultrashort channel length in vertical direction, exhibiting excellent current driving capability with an ultrahigh on‐state current density of 950 A cm−2 and a good current on/off ratio of 630. It also demonstrates reconfigurable diode behavior with a rectification ratio over 102. Temperature‐dependent studies are applied to tribotronic devices for the first time, indicating an effective modulation on the Schottky barrier height of 150 meV by the triboelectric potential. A green LED pixel is driven by the tribotronic VFET as a demonstration to work as a tactile interactive light‐emitting device. The demonstrated tribotronic vertical device offers a promising strategy for integrating various 2D layered materials with TENG in vertical direction, enabling 3D integration of low‐power and interactive devices for next‐generation electronics.

Body in the forefront, again? Distance learning drawbacks and implications for policy

The COVID-19 pandemic launched a challenge on the education system and required schools to make organizational changes in order to continue serving the local community. Essential to this process are support teachers who play a key role as agents of change. Despite their role, the perspectives, desires, and needs of these teachers have since been neglected, despite their centrality in contemporary Italy. Accordingly, the specific aim of this study revolves around supporting teachers’ experiences with digital technologies (i.e., learning applications, telecommunication media, and interactive devices) within a pandemic context, especially technologies used to maintain the educational bond with students with disabilities. Attuned to an interpretative paradigm, this qualitative research has an ethnographic design, which was implemented in a secondary school in a Northern Italian city. Throughout the article, we discuss the three main drawbacks found in fieldwork: (i) the prevailing change in bureaucratic management; (ii) the pervading mind–body binarism in teaching; and (iii) a long-term vision for inclusion being subject to a passive logic of adaptation. Finally, we reflect on some emerging implications. The first points to a necessary move from a rationalistic school management to an alternative model focused more on guaranteeing social justice among educational stakeholders. The second is that the very introduction of a new technology should be aimed at engaging actors whose work has been invisible to date in a school setting to empower them as key agents for change. The third suggests that, to overcome community disaggregation and mind-body binarism, a teacher-researcher figure is needed, a figure with holistic skills in addition to those of a technical nature delivered by institutional training programs.

Families' perception of the psychological effects of screen use in the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic in the age group of 4 to 12 years age group in Asunción, Paraguay

Nowadays, screens have a preferential place in families, and the time spent in front of them is a reality in family life, occupying a space that limits interactions and communication. During the pandemic, the use of cell phones, notebooks, and computers intensified significantly, especially in fulfilling work functions and school homework and as a means of entertainment at the family's service. Today, in the post-pandemic period, there is an increase in consultations by families with children between 4 and 12 years old referred for evaluations and treatment in psychopedagogy and psychology. These referrals came from educational institutions or health services specializing in pediatrics, neurology, and child psychiatry. The most frequent reasons for consultations refer to attention deficit, constant irritability, mood swings, hyperactivity, depression, fears, difficulties in school performance, and the quantity and quality of nighttime sleep. Access to devices from an early age, increased during the pandemic and installed in the post-pandemic, leads to an exploratory study, without statistical representation, about parents' perception of the effects generated by devices on children's emotional well-being and the family atmosphere. For this study, researchers applied a closed questionnaire to parents of families whose children attended psychological and psychopedagogical consultations between 2023 and 2024 about their perception of the issue. Parallel interviews with Expert Groups about the use of screens and the psychological effects on the child population in question triangulated parents' perceptions. The study results suggest that early exposure to screens without control can generate disorders in family relationships and children's maturing, social, and learning development, considering the high use of screens in children and early exposure to them registered. Results also suggest the need for parents’ reflection on the use of electronic devices in family interaction, considering this time as the basis of neural development and fundamental functions such as language, motor skills, and the relationship with their young children. It would also be convenient to look for alternative activities to reduce screen use and set rules to establish limits to using those devices.

A Hybrid Haptic Device for Virtual Car Door Interactions: Design and Implementation

A Hybrid Haptic Device for Virtual Car Door Interactions: Design and Implementation

Representation of negative numbers: point estimation tasks using multi-reference sonification mappings.

In this study, we examine different approaches to the presentation of Y coordinates in mobile auditory graphs, including the representation of negative numbers. These studies involved both normally sighted and visually impaired users, as there are applications where normally sighted users might employ auditory graphs, such as the unseen monitoring of stocks, or fuel consumption in a car. Multi-reference sonification schemes are investigated as a means of improving the performance of mobile non-visual point estimation tasks. The results demonstrated that both populations are able to carry out point estimation tasks with a good level of performance when presented with auditory graphs using multiple reference tones. Additionally, visually impaired participants performed better on graphs represented in this format than normally sighted participants. This work also implements the component representation approach for negative numbers to represent the mapping by using the same positive mapping reference for the digit and adding a sign before the digit which leads to a better accuracy of the polarity sign. This work contributes to the areas of the design process of mobile auditory devices in human-computer interaction and proposed a methodological framework related to improving auditory graph performance in graph reproduction.

Alternating current electroluminescence devices: recent advances and functional applications.

Wearable smart devices and visualisation sensors based on alternating current electroluminescence (ACEL) have received considerable attention in recent years. Due to the unique properties of ACEL devices, such as high mechanical strength, adaptability to complex environments, and no need for energy level matching, ACEL is suitable for multifunctional applications and visualisation sensing platforms. This review comprehensively outlines the latest developments in ACEL devices, starting with an analysis of the mechanism, classification, and optimisation strategies of ACEL. It introduces the functional applications of ACEL in multicolour displays, high-durability displays, stretchable and wearable displays, and autonomous function displays. Particularly, it emphasises the research progress of ACEL in sensory displays under interactive conditions such as liquid sensing, environmental factor sensing, kinetic energy sensing, and biosensing. Finally, it forecasts the challenges and new opportunities faced by future functional and interactive ACEL devices in fields such as artificial intelligence, smart robotics, and human-computer interaction.

Research on the Design of Tea Culture Exhibition Stand Based on Multimodal Concept in Interactive Device Art

Research on the Design of Tea Culture Exhibition Stand Based on Multimodal Concept in Interactive Device Art

Smart Pipette: Elevating Laboratory Performance with Tactile Authenticity and Real-Time Feedback.

Mastering the correct use of laboratory equipment is a fundamental skill for undergraduate science students involved in laboratory-based training. However, hands-on laboratory time is often limited, and remote students may struggle as their absence from the physical lab limits their skill development. An air-displacement micropipette was selected for our initial investigation, as accuracy and correct technique are essential in generating reliable assay data. Handling small liquid volumes demands hand dexterity and practice to achieve proficiency. This research assesses the importance of tactile authenticity during training by faithfully replicating the micropipette's key physical and operational characteristics. We developed a custom haptic training approach called 'Smart Pipette' which promotes accurate operation and enhances laboratory dexterity training. A comparative user study with 34 participants evaluated the effectiveness of the Smart Pipette custom haptic device against training with off-the-shelf hardware, specifically the Quest VR hand controller, which was chosen because it is held mid-air similar to a laboratory micropipette. Both training conditions are integrated with the same self-paced virtual simulation displayed on a computer screen, offering clear video instructions and realtime guidance. Results demonstrated that participants trained with the Smart Pipette custom haptic exhibited increased accuracy and precision while making fewer errors than those trained with off-the-shelf hardware. The Smart Pipette and the Quest VR controller had no significant differences in cognitive load and system usability scores. Tactile authentic interaction devices address challenges faced by online learners, while their applicability extends to traditional classrooms, where real-time feedback significantly enhances overall training performance outcomes.

Design and application of an information interaction device for household photovoltaic inverters

The rapid growth of household photovoltaics poses a significant challenge to the safe operation of distribution networks. To enable the unified monitoring of household photovoltaic inverters by power grid companies, this paper introduces an information interaction device for household photovoltaic inverters based on high-speed power line carrier communication and high-speed radio frequency communication. The study begins by analyzing the information access architecture of the household photovoltaic inverter, followed by a presentation of the hardware and software design of the information interaction device. Subsequent experiments conducted at various photovoltaic stations demonstrate an impressive 98% success rate for information interaction, highlighting the device’s robust reliability.

XR CUBE: Multi-Sensory Intelligent Interaction Device for Extended Reality Application

XR CUBE: Multi-Sensory Intelligent Interaction Device for Extended Reality Application

FPGA-based Lightweight QDS-CNN System for sEMG Gesture and Force Level Recognition.

Deep learning (DL) has been used for electromyographic (EMG) signal recognition and achieved high accuracy for multiple classification tasks. However, implementation in resource-constrained prostheses and human-computer interaction devices remains challenging. To overcome these problems, this paper implemented a low-power system for EMG gesture and force level recognition using Zynq architecture. Firstly, a lightweight network model structure was proposed by Ultra-lightweight depth separable convolution (UL-DSC) and channel attention-global average pooling (CA-GAP) to reduce the computational complexity while maintaining accuracy. A wearable EMG acquisition device for real-time data acquisition was subsequently developed with size of 36mm×28mm×4mm. Finally, a highly parallelized dedicated hardware accelerator architecture was designed for inference computation. 18 gestures were tested, including force levels from 22 healthy subjects. The results indicate that the average accuracy rate was 94.92% for a model with 5.0k parameters and a size of 0.026MB. Specifically, the average recognition accuracy for static and force-level gestures was 98.47% and 89.92%, respectively. The proposed hardware accelerator architecture was deployed with 8-bit precision, a single-frame signal inference time of 41.9μs, a power consumption of 0.317W, and a data throughput of 78.6 GOP/s.