Background
In virtual reality, the utilization of technology that uses touch and vibrations to communicate with users, simulating tactile sensations like pressure, resistance, and texture (haptic feedback), is often quite unrealistic when users engage with virtual fluids. Vibrotactile actuators are small motors or vibrators that generate haptic feedback, typically by creating vibrations that the user can feel on their skin. Previous research has been done on utilizing a 1D approach in vibrotactile motor actuation, which falls short in capturing the expressive behaviors of actual liquids.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed Vibr-eau, a physical system designed to simulate the sensation of virtual fluids in vessels through integration with game engine software.
Vibr-eau uses spatial and temporal vibrotactile feedback to create realistic haptic sensations within a 3D printed vessel equipped with vibrotactile actuators. When the users are in virtual environment and interact with the physical vessel, vibration impulses are triggered in the vibrotactile motors and the user will feel like there is fluid in the vessel.
Potential Applications:
- Gaming & entertainment
- Virtual training scenarios (e.g., motor skill training)
- Teleoperation and robotics
- Education
Benefits and Advantages:
- Improved functionality – better system ability to simulate the sensation of (virtual) liquids in containers
- User-friendly – provides improved user experience
- Simple – mechanically simple and replicable haptic feedback system
- Easily integrated – can be integrated in existing hardware and software platforms
Related Publication: Vibr-eau: Emulating Fluid Behavior in Vessel Handling through Vibrotactile Actuators