RippleTouch

Summary

We propose RippleTouch, a low resolution haptic interface that is capable of providing haptic stimulation to multiple ar- eas of the body via single point of contact. This concept is based on the low frequency acoustic wave propagation properties of the human body. By stimulating the body with differ- ent amplitude modulated frequencies at a single contact point, we were able to dissipate the wave energy in a particular region of the bod. This created a haptic stimulation without direct contact. The RippleTouch system was implemented on a regular chair where four base range speakers were mounted underneath the seat and driven by a simple stereo audio in- terface. The system was evaluated to investigate the effect of frequency characteristics of the amplitude modulation system. Results demonstrate that we can effectively create haptic sensations at different parts of the body with a single contact point (i.e. chair surface). We believe RippleTouch concept would serve as a scalable solution for providing full-body haptic feedback in variety of situations including entertainment, communication, public spaces and vehicular applications.

Publications

RippleTouch. Withana, Koyama, Saakes, Minamizawa, Inami & Nanayakkara In Augmented Human 2015 - AH’15 (pp. 61–68)

Information

Active: 
Jan, 2013 to Dec, 2013
Keywords: 
HCI
Haptics