Asymmetric Interface and Interactions for Bimanual Virtual Assembly With Haptics

Abstract

This paper discusses development of a new bimanual interface configuration for virtual assembly consisting of a haptic device at one hand and a 6DOF tracking device at the other hand. The two devices form a multimodal interaction configuration facilitating unique interactions for virtual assembly. Tasks for virtual assembly can consist of both “one hand one object” and “bimanual single object” interactions. For one hand one object interactions this device configuration offers advantages in terms of increased manipulation workspace and provides a tradeoff between the cost effectiveness and mode of feedback. For bimanual single object manipulation an interaction method developed using this device configuration improves the realism and facilitates variation in precision of task of bimanual single object orientation. Furthermore another interaction method to expand the haptic device workspace using this configuration is introduced. The applicability of both these methods to the field of virtual assembly is discussed.

Evaluation of Bimanual Stretched-String Single Object Manipulation for Virtual Assembly With Haptics

“…In the above example if part P1 is considered as reference; then the Eqn. (1). gives the error HTM at the initial state.…”

“…Using this configuration a new technique of object manipulation; 'Bimaual stretched-string single object manipulation' (BS-SSOM) [1] had been developed in this research. This technique decouples positioning and orientation of virtual objects.…”

“…A new interaction technique 'Bimanual stretched-string single object manipulation' (BS-SSOM) [1] had been developed in this research. In order to compare this newly developed interaction technique with the existing one-hand one-object manipulation interaction; an elaborate user study is designed.…”

“…[1] The application development was built on the knowledge of previous virtual assembly implementations at the Virtual Reality Applications Center, Ames IA, US [8,9,10,15]. The attachment of user hand avatar with the virtual object is through a virtual spring damper and an impedance based approach is used by sensing position and rendering forces.…”