Integrated Wireless and Wearable Haptics System for Virtual Interaction

This demonstration introduces a simple, cost effective approach which provides wireless and wearable haptic feedback for the interaction in a custom-ized Virtual environments. The setup consists of 5 vibrotactile ERM actuators, providing multi-finger haptic sensation, and a Virtual Reality environment, tai-lored in Unity 3D, which is combined with Oculus Rift Head Mounted Display and Leap Motion controller. The Head Mounted Display allows the user to be immersed within the virtual environment, while Leap Motion integration with Oculus Rift make the user able to naturally interact with the objects within the virtual environment by his/her hands motion. Interaction with the virtual objects and sense of immersion are enhanced by returning real-time touch feedback on user fingertips. Touching sensation will be modulated through 5 different vibra-tion based on virtual dynamics occurring between the immersed hands of the user and the interacting objects, namely the Virtual impact forces and collision im-pulses. The overall haptic architecture (i.e. 5 ERM actuators and controllers, pro-cessing and communication module, power unit) consists of a wearable unit, which is embedded on the right wrist of the user. Real-time data processing and communication is performed through wireless IEEE 802.15 communication pro-tocol