Development of a new miniature kinesthetic actuator with vibrotactile feedback for handheld interfaces

This paper presents a new miniature haptic display to convey ample haptic information to a user of a handheld interface. There are buttons on interfaces or general electronic devices, but existing buttons provide haptic feedback of only one passive pattern to a user. Because humans perceive tactile and kinesthetic information simultaneously when they handle objects, the proposed actuator provides both sensations at once. It is able to generate various levels of kinesthetic sensations when pressing a button under diverse situations. Also, vibrotactile feedback can be delivered for exciting haptic effects with numerous patterns. Its performance was evaluated in accordance with the resistive force by changing the intensity of the input current. Experiments show that the proposed actuator has the ability to provide numerous haptic sensations for more realistic and complex haptic experiences.