Title :
Improving user comfort in haptic virtual environments through gravity compensation
Author :
Ott, Renaud ; Gutiérrez, Mario ; Thalmann, Daniel ; Vexo, Frédéric
Author_Institution :
Virtual Reality Lab., Ecole Polytech. Fed. de Lausanne, Switzerland
Abstract :
Our experience with a Haptic Workstation™ has shown that this device is uncomfortable to use during long sessions. The main reason is the uncomfortable posture of the arms, which must be kept outstretched horizontally while supporting the weight of an exoskeleton. We describe Zero-G, a real-time weight compensation system aimed at improving user comfort by compensating for the weight of both the exoskeleton and arms (zero gravity illusion). We present experimental results complemented with electro myography measures (EMG) as an indicator of muscular activity/fatigue. Our tests show how Zero-G exerts a positive influence on the reduction of muscular fatigue when using a Haptic Workstation™.
Keywords :
electromyography; haptic interfaces; virtual reality; Haptic Workstation; Zero-G; electro myography measures; gravity compensation; haptic virtual environments; real-time weight compensation system; user comfort; Arm; Exoskeletons; Fatigue; Feedback; Gravity; Haptic interfaces; Mobile robots; Testing; Virtual environment; Wheels;
Conference_Titel :
Eurohaptics Conference, 2005 and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems, 2005. World Haptics 2005. First Joint
Print_ISBN :
0-7695-2310-2
DOI :
10.1109/WHC.2005.78