Title :
Rendering variable-sized lump sensations on a softness tactile display
Author :
Kimura, Fumitaka ; Yamamoto, Akiyasu
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Precision Eng., Univ. of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract :
This paper describes a new tactile rendering technique to produce lump sensations in virtual soft surfaces. Most softness displays reported so far reproduced only simple and uniform soft objects; nevertheless many real objects around us provide complicated softness. To reproduce various different softness sensations, we have previously developed a softness display utilizing a flexible sheet that wraps around a fingertip to stimulate fingertip cutaneous sensations. The device controls the softness sensations by changing tension of the flexible sheet, as well as the contact area between the sheet and a fingertip. During our pilot experiments, we found that users feel lump sensations from the softness display in particular conditions. Based on the findings, this paper proposes a technique to reproduce sensations of soft objects that contain lumps beneath their surfaces. The proposed technique can vary the size of the rendered virtual lumps through tension control; larger tension produces smaller size of lump sensation, and vice versa. Results of experiments using human subjects confirmed the validity of the proposed method.
Keywords :
haptic interfaces; rendering (computer graphics); virtual reality; contact area; device control; fingertip cutaneous sensation; flexible sheet; rendered virtual lump; soft object; softness sensation; softness tactile display; tactile rendering technique; tension control; variable-sized lump sensation; virtual soft surface; Force; Force measurement; Haptic interfaces; Mathematical model; Plastics; Rendering (computer graphics); Vibrations; Lump sensation; Softness reproduction; Tactile display;
Conference_Titel :
World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2013
Conference_Location :
Daejeon
Print_ISBN :
978-1-4799-0087-9
DOI :
10.1109/WHC.2013.6548391