Multihaptics: A novel multipurpose haptic unit to accelerate haptic integration

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Throughout the fiscal year 2022-2023, we have made continued advancements in the implementation of the three primary components of the project: the Haptic Unit, Haptic Tips, and Software. In regard to the Haptic Unit, we have repositioned the gearbox to the haptic tips to allow for the production of haptic feedback at different motor speeds. Through preliminary evaluations, we have assessed the perceived tactile feedback and studied user understanding of the tactons generated by each different tip. However, the current iteration of the haptic unit presents a gap between the skin and the haptic tip due to its attachment to the skin, which has resulted in less-than-desired accuracy rates for identifying produced tactons. As a solution, we are currently in the process of redesigning the device to attach via the tip instead.Regarding the Haptic Tips, we have enhanced the design of the four different haptic tips based on user studies. Every haptic tip has a custom gearbox depending on the requirements to produce the haptic feedback (e.g., vibration requires higher motor speeds while squeezing or dragging require higher torque).For the Software component, we have further improved the GUI to enable users to create tactons with greater precision. Currently, we are measuring different parameters of each tip, such as vibration intensity for the vibration tip and applied pressure for the squeezing tip, in order to provide more accurate control of haptic interactions within the GUI.