SBIR Phase I: Minimum Viable Product Haptic Motion Controller for Consumer Virtual Reality

SBIR 第一阶段：用于消费者虚拟现实的最小可行产品触觉运动控制器

• 批准号: 1447526
• 负责人: William Provancher
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Tactical Haptics
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2015-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1447526&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Minimum; Viable; Product

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be seen across a broad number of applications. These applications include virtual reality and video games, as well as, physically interacting with computer-aided design (CAD) or medical models; creating interactive chemistry models; experiencing physics simulations; bringing engineering curriculum for STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) training to life; and better connecting a surgeon to a medical procedure during minimally invasive surgery. Imagine if instead of interacting with a CAD or molecular model with a computer mouse, it was inexpensive enough that you could use the developed haptic device to grab the model within a 3D environment and pull on it to feel the strength of fasteners or molecular bonds. While these interactions can already be portrayed with desktop interfaces like Novint?s Falcon force feedback device, our technology could do this at a much lower price point and could also be used in large workspace applications like playing video games or exploring in VR a home living room. This project will also contribute to the understanding of the human perception of touch. This project relates to the technology area of ?Human Assistive Technologies and Bio-related Robotics? and the consumer electronics market segment.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to meet the market demand for intuitive, immersive, and inexpensive haptic technologies. This demand has been fueled by the renewed interest in virtual reality (VR) with the availability of inexpensive 3-dimentional (3D) head-mounted displays (HMDs). Current haptic interfaces are either too expensive and have limited workspaces or are too crude to portray force/torque interactions. The company hypothesizes that it can create an ungrounded haptic motion controller that can emulate force feedback at a price that will be viable for consumer virtual reality. This research will utilize tactile shear feedback within the handle of a game controller interface. Actuators within the controller will apply friction and shear forces to the user?s hand, which will in turn be driven based on simulated interaction forces from a VR physics engine. This will create an integrated haptic experience that will connect the user to the virtual environment.

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将在许多应用程序中看到。这些应用程序包括虚拟现实和视频游戏，以及与计算机辅助设计（CAD）或医疗模型进行物理互动；创建交互式化学模型；体验物理模拟；将STEM的工程课程（科学技术工程数学）培训带入生活；并在微创手术中更好地将外科医生与医疗程序联系起来。想象一下，如果它没有与计算机鼠标与CAD或分子模型进行交互，那么它就足够便宜，您可以使用开发的触觉设备在3D环境中抓住该模型并将其拉动以感觉到紧固件或分子键的强度。尽管这些互动已经可以用台式机接口（如Novint？s Falcon Force Refect Backage设备）描绘，但我们的技术可以以较低的价格来进行此操作，并且还可以在大型工作区应用程序中使用，例如在玩视频游戏或在VR中探索VR家庭客厅。该项目还将有助于理解人类对触摸的看法。该项目与“人类辅助技术和与生物有关的机器人技术的技术领域有关？以及本小型企业创新研究（SBIR）I阶段项目旨在满足对直觉，沉浸式和廉价触觉技术的市场需求。对虚拟现实（VR）的新兴趣加剧了这种需求，其可用性廉价的3维（3D）头部安装显示器（HMD）。当前的触觉界面要么太贵了，要么有限的工作区，要么太粗糙而无法描绘力/扭矩相互作用。该公司假设它可以创建一个不可接受的触觉运动控制器，该动作控制器可以以对消费者虚拟现实可行的价格模仿力反馈。这项研究将在游戏控制器接口的手柄内利用触觉剪切反馈。控制器中的执行器将向用户的手施加摩擦和剪切力，而该手的手将基于VR物理引擎的模拟相互作用力来驱动。 这将创建一种集成的触觉体验，将用户连接到虚拟环境。