IMA Workshop on Haptics, VR, and HCI

Overview

John Hollerbach

School of ComputingUniversity of Utah

What Are Haptic Interfaces?“Haptic interfaces refers to interfaces involving the human hand and to manual sensing and manipulation.” (Durlach et al., 1994)

• A haptic interface is comprised of– A mechanical position tracker– Actuated joints

• This is just a robot attached to a human

Where forces have been applied:

• Traditional haptics: arms and hands• Foot haptics: Sarcos Biport• Whole-body haptics: Sarcos Treadport

Haptic interfaces are robots that apply forces to the body to display information.

Traditional Haptic Interfaces

Ground based Body based

Foot Haptics (locomotion interface)

Sarcos Biport Iwata’s GaitMaster

Whole-Body Haptics

Sarcos Treadport II

A Thin Line Separates Other Robots that Apply Forces to Humans

• Programmable exercise machines • Rehabilitation robots• Assist devices• Powered exoskeletons

Haptic Interfaces in Teleoperation or Virtual Reality

Teleoperation Avatar

Why Haptics and VR?

• The most general HCI will involve haptics, not just vision and sound.

• There are a lot more computers to be interfaced than telemanipulators.

A Typical VR System

Haptic Interface

User

Visual Interface

Arm Model

World Model

Geometry

Dynamics

Force rendering

Auditory Interface

Technical Issues

DevicesDevices•Specification•Design•Control

SimulationSimulation•High-fidelity for objects•Low-fidelity for haptics

•Transparency•Stability

The Device Angle for VR

• Precise registration to a simulation• Human factors for device use• Cost and proliferation• Novelty factor

The Simulation Angle:Real-Time Requirements

• Visual displays: 30-60Hz• Haptic displays: 1kHz, 1msec lag

– High-frequency contact transients– Control instability

Haptics for VR is not new!

• Teleoperation predictor displays• Impelled by cheap, powerful PCs• Proliferated by haptics companies and

innovations in research labs

But What are the Applications?

• Computer games• Medicine• Mechanical design• ???

Haptics Symposium

• #1-9 held in conjunction with ASME winter annual meeting

• #10 to be held in conjunction with IEEE VR, March 24-25, 2002, in Orlando.