Pseudo-haptic feedback: can isometric input devices simulate force feedback?

Abstract

This paper considers whether a passive isometric input device, such as a ¢ ¤ £ ¦ ¥ § © ¥ TM , used together with visual feedback, could provide the operator with a pseudo-haptic feedback. For this aim, two psychophysical experiments have been conducted. The first experiment consisted of a compliance discrimination, between two virtual springs hand-operated by means of the ¢ ¤ £ ¥ § © ¥ TM. In this experiment, the stiffness (or compliance) JND turned out to be 6%. The second experiment assessed stiffness discrimination between a virtual spring and the equivalent spring in reality. In this case, the stiffness (or compliance) JND was found to be 13.4%. These results are consistent with previous outcomes on manual discrimination of compliance. Consequently, this consistency reveals that the passive apparatus that was used can, to some extent, simulate haptic information. In addition, a final test indicated that the proprioceptive sense of the subjects was blurred by visual feedback. This gave them the illusion of using a non isometric device.

A brief taxonomy of tactile illusions and demonstrations that can be done in a hardware store

“…A series of surprising pseudo-haptic effects was described by Lécuyer et al [49,50]. The common thread behind these effects is that, in the proper conditions, visual cues can create haptic sensations that have no basis in the physical mechanical signals experienced by the subject.…”

“…The common thread behind these effects is that, in the proper conditions, visual cues can create haptic sensations that have no basis in the physical mechanical signals experienced by the subject. For example, when sliding a computer mouse on a smooth and uniform surface, if the velocity of the cursor relatively to that of the mouse is modulated as a function of its location on the screen in correlation with seen items, haptic sensations such as viscosity or shape are typically experienced [49].…”

Evaluation of pseudo-haptic feedback for simulating torque: a comparison between isometric and elastic input devices

“…The device used was the Spaceball, which was considered as isometric in [15] because of its small displacement, but in this paper we will consider it as elastic, according to the definition that we proposed in the Introduction. A task of stiffness discrimination between real and virtual springs was used in the study.…”

“…They report results from an experiment that supports the existence of visual/haptic synesthesia, which enhances the user's sense of presence. Pseudo haptic feedback, proposed by Lecuyer et al [15] is a form of synesthesia. The authors defined pseudo-haptic systems as "systems providing haptic information generated, augmented or modified, by the influence of another sensory modality [14].…”

Multi-Fingered Grasping and Manipulation in Virtual Environments Using an Isometric Finger Device

“…Compared to data gloves, where the motion of the fingers is unconstrained, the passive haptic devices constrain the motion while measuring the force applied to the force sensing elements (Pai, VanDerLoo, Sadhukhan, & Kry, 2005). If the visual feedback requires an increase of the input force, the user will apply additional force and consequently feel larger resistance at the fingertips, creating in this way the illusion of tactile feedback (Lécuyer, Coquillart, Kheddar, Richard, & Coiffet, 2000). Several isometric devices have been proposed for interaction with VEs.…”