A simple way of integrating texture in virtual environments for haptic rendering

This paper describes a simple way of integrating texture in virtual environments for haptic rendering. The proposed technique consists in creating an elevation map computed thanks to the luminance coefficient of each texel (i.e. texture pixel) of the texture mapped onto the surface. This elevation map is then used to generate the 3D asperities on the explored object´s surface; therefore creating peaks and valleys. It is also used to compute the corresponding tactile forces for haptic rendering. The user may either apply one of the proposed four techniques in computing elevation maps or simply prune it to keep a smooth surface