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

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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.