Finger Mechanism of a Haptic Glove for Force Feedback in Virtual Environments

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conrad Bullion ◽  
Goktug A. Dazkir ◽  
Hakan Gurocak
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Bottom Surface ◽  
Force Analysis ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
Grasping Forces ◽  
Distributed Forces

In this paper we present details of a finger mechanism designed as part of an ongoing research on a force feedback glove. The glove will be used in virtual reality applications where it will provide force feedback to the user as he grasps virtual objects. Haptic (touch and force) feedback is an essential component to make the simulated environment feel more realistic to the user. The design employs an innovative mechanism that wraps around each finger. Each mechanism is controlled by one cable. By controlling the tension on the cable and the displacement of the cable, we can control the amount of force applied to the user’s finger at any given position of the mechanism. The glove can provide distributed forces at the bottom surface of each finger while reducing the number of actuators and sensors. First kinematic and force analysis of the mechanism along with experimental verifications are presented. Following description of an experiment to determine grasping forces, we conclude with an overview of the next steps in this research.

Integrating a Grasp Exoskeleton Into a String-Based Interface for Human-Scale Interactions

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rasul Fesharakifard ◽  
Maryam Khalili ◽  
Laure Leroy ◽  
Alexis Paljic ◽  
Philippe Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Control Method ◽  
Hybrid Control ◽  
Force Sensor ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Rotary Encoder ◽  
Human Scale ◽  
Novel Design

A grasp exoskeleton actuated by a string-based platform is proposed to provide the force feedback for a user’s hand in human-scale virtual environments. The user of this interface accedes to seven active degrees of freedom in interaction with virtual objects, which comprises three degrees of translation, three degrees of rotation, and one degree of grasping. The exoskeleton has a light and ergonomic structure and provides the grasp gesture for five fingers. The actuation of the exoskeleton is performed by eight strings that are the parallel arms of the platform. Each string is connected to a block of motor, rotary encoder, and force sensor with a novel design to create the necessary force and precision for the interface. A hybrid control method based on the string’s tension measured by the force sensor is developed to resolve the ordinary problems of string-based interface. The blocks could be moved on a cubic frame around the virtual environment. Finally the results of preliminary experimentation of interface are presented to show its practical characteristics. Also the interface is mounted on an automotive model to demonstrate its industrial adaptability.

scholarly journals Haptic Virtual Environments for Blind People: Exploratory Experiments with Two Devices

1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Jansson ◽  
H Petrie ◽  
C Colwell ◽  
D. Kornbrot ◽  
J. Fänger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Virtual Object ◽  
Blind People ◽  
Haptic Devices ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
3D Objects

This paper is a fusion of two independent studies investigating related problems concerning the use of haptic virtual environments for blind people: a study in Sweden using a PHANToM 1.5 A and one in the U.K. using an Impulse Engine 3000. In general, the use of such devices is a most interesting option to provide blind people with information about representations of the 3D world, but the restriction at each moment to only one point of contact between observer and virtual object might decrease their effectiveness. The studies investigated the perception of virtual textures, the identification of virtual objects and the perception of their size and angles. Both sighted (blindfolded in one study) and blind people served as participants. It was found (1) that the PHANToM can effectively render textures in the form of sandpapers and simple 3D geometric forms and (2) that the Impulse Engine can effectively render textures consisting of grooved surfaces, as well as 3D objects, properties of which were, however, judged with some over- or underestimation. When blind and sighted participants' performance was compared differences were found that deserves further attention. In general, the haptic devices studied have demonstrated the great potential of force feedback devices in rendering relatively simple environments, in spite of the restricted ways they allow for exploring the virtual world. The results highly motivate further studies of their effectiveness, especially in more complex contexts.

Tele-immersion

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 73
Author(s):  
Jayanthila Devi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Geographic Locations ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Advanced Form ◽  
Simulated Environment ◽  
Group Members ◽  
To Come

Tele-immersion is an advanced form of virtual reality that will allow users in different places to interact in real time in a shared simulated environment. Tele-immersion is a technology to be implemented with Internet that will enable users in different geographic locations to come together in a simulated environment to interact. Users will feel like they are actually looking, talking, and meeting with each other face-to-face in the same room.This technology causes users to feel as if they were in the same room. The tele-immersion technology uses a "tele-cubicle" which is equipped with large screens, scanners, sensors, and cameras. The tele-cubicles are linked together in real-time so that they form one larger cubicle. Through the virtual environment, participants are able to interact with other group members. Also, virtual objects and data can be passed through the walls between participants, and placed on the shared table in the middle for viewing.

Development of Haptic-Enabled Virtual Reality Applications for Engineering, Medicine and Art

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo I. Medellín-Castillo ◽  
Germánico González-Badillo ◽  
Eder Govea ◽  
Raquel Espinosa-Castañeda ◽  
Enrique Gallegos
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Haptic Device ◽  
The Other ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
And Training

The technological growth in the last years have conducted to the development of virtual reality (VR) systems able to immerse the user into a three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment where the user can interact in real time with virtual objects. This interaction is mainly based on visualizing the virtual environment and objects. However, with the recent beginning of haptic systems, the interaction with the virtual world has been extended to also feel, touch and manipulate virtual objects. Virtual reality has been successfully used in the development of applications in different scientific areas ranging from basic sciences, social science, education and entertainment. On the other hand, the use of haptics has increased in the last decade in domains from sciences and engineering to art and entertainment. Despite many developments, there is still relatively little knowledge about the confluence of software, enabling hardware, visual and haptic representations, to enable the conditions that best provide for an immersive sensory environment to convey information about a particular subject domain. In this paper, the state of the art of the research work regarding virtual reality and haptic technologies carried out by the authors in the last years is presented. The aim is to evidence the potential use of these technologies to develop usable systems for analysis and simulation in different areas of knowledge. The development of three different systems in the areas of engineering, medicine and art is presented. In the area of engineering, a system for the planning, evaluation and training of assembly and manufacturing tasks has been developed. The system, named as HAMS (Haptic Assembly and Manufacturing System), is able to simulate assembly tasks of complex components with force feedback provided by the haptic device. On the other hand, in the area of medicine, a surgical simulator for planning and training orthognathic surgeries has been developed. The system, named as VOSS (Virtual Osteotomy Simulator System), allows the realization of virtual osteotomies with force feedback. Finally, in the area of art, an interactive cinema system for blind people has been developed. The system is able to play a 3D virtual movie for the blind user to listen to and touch by means of the haptic device. The development of these applications and the results obtained from these developments are presented and discussed in this paper.

Haptic Gloves With Compact Finger Mechanism Using Active and Passive Actuation

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goktug A. Dazkir ◽  
Hakan Gurocak
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Reaction Force ◽  
Magnetorheological Fluid ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Bottom Surface ◽  
The One ◽  
Distributed Forces ◽  
Completion Times ◽  
Natural Way

Most haptic gloves are complicated interfaces with many actuators. If the gloves were more compact and simpler, they would greatly increase our ability to interact with virtual worlds in a more natural way. This research explored design of force feedback gloves with a new finger mechanism. The mechanism enabled application of distributed forces at the bottom surface of the fingers while reducing the number of actuators. Most glove designs available in the literature apply a reaction force only to the fingertips. Two prototype gloves were built using (1) DC servo motors, and (2) brakes filled with magnetorheological fluid. The glove with MR-brakes is lighter and simpler than the one with motors. However, the glove with motors enabled much faster task completion times.

Design and Development of Virtual Reality Environments for Biomedical and Engineering Applications

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eder Govea ◽  
Hugo I. Medellín-Castillo
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Design And Development ◽  
Engineering Applications ◽  
Virtual Objects

Virtual Reality (VR) is one of the areas of knowledge that have taken advantage of the computer technological development and scientific visualization. It has been used in different applications such as engineering, medicine, education, entertainment, astronomy, archaeology and arts. A main issue of VR and computer assisted applications is the design and development of the virtual environment, which comprises the virtual objects. Thus, the process of designing virtual environment requires the modelling of the virtual scene and virtual objects, including their geometry and surface characteristics such as colours, textures, etc. This research work presents a new methodology to develop low-cost and high quality virtual environments and scenarios for biomechanics, biomedical and engineering applications. The proposed methodology is based on open-source software. Four case studies corresponding to two applications in medicine and two applications in engineering are presented. The results show that the virtual environments developed for these applications are realistic and similar to the real environments. When comparing these virtual reality scenarios with pictures of the actual devices, it can be observed that the appearance of the virtual scenarios is very good. In particular the use of textures greatly helps in assessing specific features such as simulation of bone or metal. Thus, the usability of the proposed methodology for developing virtual reality applications in biomedical and engineering is proved. It is important to mention that the quality of the virtual environment will also depend on the 3D modelling skills of the VR designer.

scholarly journals The Transition into Virtual Reality

Disputatio ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (55) ◽  
pp. 437-451
Author(s):  
Mark Silcox
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Real World ◽  
Cognitive Penetration ◽  
The Real ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
David Chalmers ◽  
Physical Environments

AbstractIn “The Virtual and the Real,” David Chalmers argues that there is an epistemic and ontological parity between VR and ordinary reality. My argument here is that, whatever the plausibility of these claims, they provide no basis for supposing that there is a similar parity of value. Careful reflection upon certain aspects of the transition that individuals make from interacting with real-world, physical environments to interacting with VR provides a basis for thinking that, to the extent that there are good reasons to deny the reality of virtual objects, there are also reasons to place a correspondingly higher value upon the experience of interacting with a VR environment. Chalmers’ assumption to the contrary arises from a subtle misrepresentation of how the phenomenon of cognitive penetration works in the perception of virtual objects, and from an unwillingness to acknowledge how our attitudes toward virtual environments are conditioned by the values we adopt when engaged in gameplay.

Manipulating Virtual Objects With a Haptic Glove Based on Soft Pneumatic Muscles

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jukka Kuusisto ◽  
Asko Ellman ◽  
Joonas Reunamo ◽  
Joonatan Kuosa
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Haptic Feedback ◽  
Hand Position ◽  
Position Information ◽  
Data Glove ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
Pneumatic Muscles ◽  
Magnetic Tracker

In mechanical engineering, hardware mock-ups are increasingly being replaced by virtual models. Virtual environments enable the testing of different designs with considerable savings on time and money. Haptic feedback helps the user in getting a realistic conception about the cabin dimensions and how different controls actually look and feel. The haptic interface must be convenient to use and give realistic feedback on the functioning of the controls. The haptic force-feedback glove “SPM Glove” with soft pneumatic muscles — SPMs for short — on the palm side has been developed at the Department of Mechanics and Design at Tampere University of Technology. The glove provides force feedback to the thumb, index, and middle fingertips. In this paper, the usability of the SPM Glove for grasping, moving, and comparing the size of virtual objects is investigated. For achieving finger position information, the SPM Glove was worn over a data glove. Hand position was tracked with a magnetic tracker. The results indicate that users find manipulating cylindrical objects easier, more comfortable, and more natural with force feedback provided by the SPM Glove than without it. Moreover, all test users managed to arrange three invisible virtual cylinders of different sizes in order of increasing thickness using the SPM Glove.

Haptic Glove with MR Brakes for Distributed Finger Force Feedback

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 421-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conrad Bullion ◽  
Hakan Gurocak
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Task Completion ◽  
Bottom Surface ◽  
Grasping Force ◽  
Human Finger ◽  
Flux Path ◽  
Distributed Forces ◽  
Natural Way

Most existing haptic gloves are complicated user interfaces with remotely located actuators. More compact and simpler haptic gloves would greatly increase our ability to interact with virtual worlds in a more natural way. This research explored the design of a compact force feedback glove using a new finger mechanism and magnetorheological (MR) brakes as passive actuators that oppose human finger motion. The mechanism allowed for a reduction of the number of actuators and application of distributed forces at the bottom surface of user's fingers when an object was grasped in a virtual environment. The MR brakes incorporated a serpentine flux path that led to a small brake with high torque output and the elimination of remote actuation. Force analysis of the mechanism, grasping force experiments, and virtual pick-and-place experiments were done. The glove reduced task completion time by 61% and could support up to 17 N fingertip force along with 11.9 N and 18.7 N middle and proximal digit forces.

scholarly journals Prototyping and Design for Assembly Analysis Using Multimodal Virtual Environments

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakesh Gupta ◽  
David Zeltzer
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Force Feedback ◽  
Human Subjects ◽  
3D Models ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Design For Assembly ◽  
Manual Assembly ◽  
Virtual Objects ◽  
Assembly Analysis

Abstract This work investigates whether estimates of ease of part handling and part insertion can be provided by multimodal simulation using virtual environment (VE) technology, rather than by using conventional table-based methods such as Boothroyd and Dewhurst Charts. To do this, a unified physically based model has been developed for modeling dynamic interactions among virtual objects and haptic interactions between the human designer and the virtual objects. This model is augmented with auditory events in a multimodal VE system called the “Virtual Environment for Design for Assembly” (VEDA). Currently these models are 2D in order to preserve interactive update rates, but we expect that these results will be generalizable to 3d models. VEDA has been used to evaluate the feasibility and advantages of using multimodal virtual environments as a design tool for manual assembly. The designer sees a visual representation of the objects and can interactively sense and manipulate virtual objects through haptic interface devices with force feedback. He/She can feel these objects and hear sounds when there are collisions among the objects. Objects can be interactively grasped and assembled with other parts of the assembly to prototype new designs and perform Design for Assembly analysis. Experiments have been conducted with human subjects to investigate whether Multimodal Virtual Environments are able to replicate experiments linking increases in assembly time with increase in task difficulty. In particular, the effect of clearance, friction, chamfers and distance of travel on handling and insertion time have been compared in real and virtual environments for peg-in-hole assembly task. In addition, the effects of degrading/removing the different modes (visual, auditory and haptic) on different phases of manual assembly have been examined.

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