Networked virtual space that enables remote haptic sharing

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1.ObjectiveEstimation, transfer and display of the physical properties of soft objects over the computer network is expected to provide the function to touch and feel the distant objects. Especially, the haptic sense sharing has potential applications such as remote palpation or haptic broadcast. This study is focused on to develop a prototype remote haptic sharing system based on the fingertip contact area control and to examine the feasibility of the system.2.Projects and resultsThe pinch of a soft deformable object causes the sinking of the fingertip and it increases the contact area. Because, the role of this information is greater than the reaction force, a novel contact area control device with force feedback function was developed. The device consists of the pneumatic contact area control device and the wire-driven force feedback device. The contact area was calculated using Hertzian contact theory using the Young's modulus, which is converted from the transferred stiffness. The stiffness of the objects was estimated from the reaction force and the fingertip displacement of the sending user.The paired-comparison experiments (receiving subjects were required to answer the softer object from sequentially pinched two objects by the sending user) were carried out in five adult volunteers. The average cognitive rate (rate of correct answer) of the difference was 96%.3.Concluding remarksA haptic remote sharing system was proposed, which consists of the fingertip force and contact area display device and sensors to real-time stiffness estimation. Real-time estimation of the elastic soft objects and the recognition of the transferred and displayed virtual object were experimentally demonstrated.