Haptic Surfaces through Mechatronic Design

The requirements and challenges of a haptic surface display are discussed and solutions are proposed and implemented. A prototype array of actuated pins provides resolution of 5mm, travel of 45 mm, with force and position sensing on each cell. The design is extendible to much larger arrays without further technological improvements and is currently interfaced to other displays over the Internet. Specifically discussed is the strategies and details leading to the breakthrough design, including fluid actuation with integrated position sensing and alternatives to position sensing, signal conditioning and data collection for the sensors, interpretation of force and motion cues for editing the surface. The advances in mechatronics are presented through a discussion of five prototypes culminating in the current design for which performance data is provided. The control hardware and software are summarized in the remaining space available