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INTRODUCTION
The Haptics Laboratory works on the engineering and design of design of haptic
interfaces, that is, of systems, which comprise software and hardware components
that concern the sense of touch.
They work on on-line computational models of interaction between objects (deformation,
friction, cutting, etc) which can provide high-fidelity simulations as needed,
for example, in the construction of surgical simulators. They are also interested
in construction of surgical simulators. They are also interested in the study
of perpetual effects involving touch, and to take advantage of them to create
devices, visualization methods and tactile displays.
The laboratory is involved in exciting applications including rehabilitation,
operator assistance in space, medicine, and computer music performance. In the
past ten years, a Varity of haptics devices were created, including the Pantograph
and the Freedom-7.Other devices based on different principles are presently being
developed Actuators and their methods of control, being at the source of movement,
are also of great interest.
The laboratory has also made contributions in robot programming, trajectory generation,
mechanism design and computational collision detection. The Haptics Laboratory
is the center for Intelligent Machines at McGill University. HAPTIC
INTERACTION
What
is haptic interaction? "A
haptic interface is a force reflecting device which allows a user to touch, feel,
manipulate, create and/or alter simulated 3D objects in a virtual environment"
haptic. (Adjective Grk: haptein) having to do with the sense of touch; tactile
haptics = touch, tactile, force-feedback, using force/resistance, texture, heat,
vibration How
does it work? Force display technology works by using mechanical actuators
to apply forces to the user. By simulating the physics of the user's virtual world,
we can compute these forces in real-time, and then send them to the actuators
so that the user feels them. Why is it going to be important? "
Bill Buxton "hands on = finger on" " Not exploiting the interface
to keep up with computing power " More 3D and VR environments in games
and elsewhere " Demand for richer input and output possibilities Potential
Benefits " Reduction in fatigue " Increase in productivity
and comfort " decreased learning times " Large reductions in
manipulation errors What
sorts of products are being produced? " The Phantom haptic interaction
device " Magnetic levitation interaction devices " Exoskeleton
devices " The Freedom 7 Device
turns computer into means for touching virtual objects
Like a high-tech version of a child's interactive "touch and feel" book,
this computer interface lets users feel a virtual object to learn its shape, and
whether it's rough as sandpaper, hard as rock or hot as fire. What use is that,
one might ask? Plenty, if you're in the business of creating new ways for humans
and computers to interact. One of the stickiest problems in developing advanced
human-computer interfaces is finding a way to simulate touch. Without it, virtual
reality isn't very real. Now a group of researchers at MIT's Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory have found a way to communicate the tactile sense of a virtual object
-- its shape, texture, temperature, weight and rigidity -- and let the user change
those characteristics through a device called the PHANToM haptic interface
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