Haptic Stylus
When multiple users interact with a single large display, it is often difficult to distinguish one person's actions from those of other users. The problem is that the visual and auditory paths are shared. Our solution is to create individualized haptic sensations via each user's stylus. With an inexpensive mechanism, we can effectively emulate the feel of various switch and buttons.
Background & Objective: Our work with DiamondTouch has shown the need for true multi-user input devices. We are investigating alternatives, including stylus-based systems. Because there is a physical device associated with each user, we can take advantage of this to provide personal feedback.
Technical Discussion: Our goal is to allow each user to "feel" graphical user interface elements through a stylus. We do this by adding a solenoid to move a small mass along the axis of the stylus away from the tip. The stylus also contains an inexpensive elastomeric force sensor which senses tip pressure. This system allows us to convincingly emulate the feel of various buttons and switches. We dynamically select among the various haptic profiles depending upon which interface element is currently under the stylus. The solenoid control loop runs on a dedicated microprocessor, so the host computer only needs to select the appropriate profile at each moment and the stylus does the rest.
Contact: William Yerazunis
Technology Area: Off the Desktop Interaction and Display
Modification Date: July 7, 2008