Development of tangible haptic interfaces for use in physics instruction

We present the work in progress concerning the development of two tangible haptic interfaces, namely an inclined plane and a class 1 lever. The lever interface is a one degree-of-freedom motorized device that reproduces the behavior of a class 1 lever under variable configurations. The inclined plane interface, which consists of a hollow wooden box that is able to slide over a wooden plane, simulate a variety of weights and frictional forces by adjusting the magnetic force between two neodymium magnets. The primary goal of both interfaces is to serve as educative tools in physics instruction at high school and undergraduate levels.