A new softness display based on bi-elastic fabric

In this demo we show a new bi-elastic fabric-based display for rendering softness. It consists of a thin layer of bi-elastic fabric placed on the top of a hollow cylinder and tied to an external circular crown which can run outside over the cylinder. The crown can be moved upward and downward by means of a DC motor. The crown is connected to the female screw by means of four supports which slide along suitable loops. When the motor pulls down the crown, the fabric is stretched and its apparent stiffness increases. Conversely, when the motor pushes up the crown the fabric is relaxed and it feels softer. Subjects can touch the fabric and feel different levels of softness according to the stretching induced by the motor. Being the fabric deformable in a controlled way under the fingerpad, this new device is able to provide cues for a more reliable and realistic perception. During this demo the device will be controlled to provide subjects with different artificial degrees of softness.