MRI: Instrument Development: High-Fidelity Magnetic Levitation Haptic Systems

该项目开发、复制、分发和使用了一种新的磁悬浮触觉界面系统，提供了与单个运动部件的直接电动力交互，允许高保真的六自由度（6-DOF）传感和力/扭矩能力（不像目前可用的触觉系统，它类似于带有电机、编码器、支点、链接和传动元件的小型背部驱动机械臂）。触觉界面允许计算机用户与计算信息进行机械和视觉上的交互。使用这种新方法，用户可以抓住桌面高设备的自由悬浮手柄（操纵杆），在6自由度范围内操纵它，为具有重力、硬接触、柔性变形、摩擦和纹理属性的基于物理的3D模拟环境提供位置和力/扭矩信息。运行仿真提供6自由度的力/扭矩输出到操纵器，从而到手。手指、手和手腕的本体感觉（动觉）以及皮肤的触觉都参与了这种相互作用。原型磁悬浮触觉系统提供了比其他现有技术更高的带宽和分辨率——这是向用户传递细微摩擦和纹理信息的重要考虑因素。该项目大幅降低了成本，将极大地提高当前原型系统的性能，使用最先进的制造技术复制8个新系统。开发的系统将分发给全国7名触觉研究人员。新系统为支持七项新的独立研究工作提供了基础。因此，涉及6所大学的8个项目构成了该项目的一部分。Hollerback， Utah：调查和展示手动控制动力学，协助确定人类如何相互作用来组装，拆卸和操纵CAD对象Hollis， CMU：理解双手操作并调查盲人是否可以从触觉交流中受益Howe， Harvard；作为频率响应函数的触觉的成本效益权衡，提供了对基本触觉感知和运动控制机制的见解，以及具有成本效益的触觉界面的指导方针James， CMU：用于大型灵活模型的新型可变形渲染算法，使计算机图形学和虚拟环境仿真技术成为可能。新的触觉显示控制算法实现了新的桌面触觉应用Pai， Rutgers：具有紧密同步声音和接触力的新型音频-触觉界面，增强了对使用触觉界面呈现的人类接触感知的理解Tan， Purdue；理解感知维度、纹理感知和信息的多模态呈现许多研究工作涉及本科生，有些来自代表性不足的群体。高保真触觉技术在K-12教育中具有巨大的潜力。

This project, developing, replicating, distributing, and using a new magnetic levitation haptic interface system, provides direct electrodynamic interaction with a single moving part permitting high-fidelity six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) sensing and force/torque capability (unlike currently available haptic systems which resemble small, back-driven robot arms with motors, encoders, pivots, links, and transmission elements). Haptic interfaces allow computer users to interact mechanically, as well as visually, with computed information. With the new method, the user grasps the freely-levitated handle (manipulandum) of a desktop-high device, maneuvering it in 6-DOFs to provide position and force/torque information to a physically-based 3D simulated environment with gravity, hard contact, flexible deformation, friction, and texture attributes. The running simulation provides 6-DOF force/torque output to the manipulandum, and consequently to the hand. Both the proprioceptive (kinesthetic) senses of the fingers, hand, and wrist as well as the tactile senses in the skin are involved in the interaction. The prototype magnetic levitation haptic system provides higher bandwidths and resolutions than other existing techniques-an important consideration for conveying subtle friction and texture information to the user. Dramatically reducing cost, this project will greatly improve the performance of the current prototype system, replicating eight new systems using state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques. The developed systems will be distributed to seven haptic researchers in the nation. The new systems provide a basis for supporting seven new independent research efforts. Thus, eight projects, involving six universities, form part of the project. Hollerback, Utah: investigating and displaying manual control dynamics, assisting in determining how humans interact to assemble, disassemble, and manipulate CAD objects Hollis, CMU: understanding two-handed manipulation and investigating whether blind persons can benefit from haptic communication Howe, Harvard: cost-benefit tradeoff for haptics as a function of frequency response, providing insights into fundamental tactile perception and motor control mechanisms and guidelines for cost-effective haptic interfaces James, CMU: new deformable rendering algorithms for a large class of flexible models enabling technology for computer graphics and virtual environment simulation Khatib, Stanford: new control algorithms for haptic display enable new desktop haptic applications Pai, Rutgers: new kinds of audio-haptic interfaces with tightly synchronized sounds and contact forces enhancing understanding of human perception of contact rendered using a haptic interface Tan, Purdue: understanding perceptual dimensionality, texture perception, & multimodal rendering of informationMany of the research efforts involve undergraduate students, some from under-represented groups. High-fidelity haptics has enormous potential for K-12 education.