Tactile Feedback at the Finger Tips for Improved Direct Interaction in Immersive Environments

Author

Scheibe, Robert ; Moehring, Mathias ; Froehlich, Bernd

Author_Institution

Group Res., Volkswagen

fYear

2007

fDate

10-14 March 2007

Firstpage

293

Lastpage

294

Abstract

We present a new tactile feedback system for finger-based interactions in immersive virtual reality applications that consists of shape memory alloy wires wrapped around tracked linger thimbles. The wires touch the inside of the finger tips and provide an impression when they are shortened. We use this system to communicate linger contacts with virtual objects in an application for usability and reachability studies of car interiors. Our experiments and an initial pilot study revealed that this type of feedback helps users to perform direct manipulation tasks with more reliability

Keywords

feedback; haptic interfaces; virtual reality; direct interaction; finger-based interactions; immersive environments; immersive virtual reality; reachability study; shape memory alloy wires; tactile feedback system; tracked linger thimbles; virtual objects; Computer graphics; Crystalline materials; Displays; Feedback; Fingers; Shape memory alloys; Temperature; Usability; Virtual reality; Wires; Direct Interaction; I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics; Realism - Virtual Reality B.4.2 [Input/Output and Data Communication]: Input/Output Devices - Channels and Controllers; Shape Memory Alloys; Tactile Feedback;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Virtual Reality Conference, 2007. VR '07. IEEE

Conference_Location

Charlotte, NC

Print_ISBN

1-4244-0906-3

Electronic_ISBN

1-4244-0906-3

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/VR.2007.352508

Filename

4161050