Imagine being able to build and use a robotic device without the need for expensive, specialist kit or skills. That is the vision that researchers from the University of Bristol have turned into reality, creating a lightweight, affordable and simple solution for everyday users.
While multiple robotic arm devices already exist, most are heavy, expensive and outside the reach of individuals who lack the expertise to use them.
Mantis, designed by experts in human-computer interaction from Bristol’s world-renowned team of engineers, is the first system of its kind that enables light, affordable and accessible haptic force feedback.
Human beings have five senses, but electronic devices communicate with us using predominantly just two: sight and hearing. Haptic feedback (often shortened to just haptics) changes this by simulating the sense of touch. Not only can you touch a computer or other device, but the computer can touch you back. A force feedback is a particular kind that can provide force.
Theoretically, the Mantis could be built and used by anyone upwards from a secondary school student. Not only that, researcher say the Mantis can be built for 20 times less the expense of the market equivalent because it uses components, including brushless motors, that cost significantly less than high-fidelity equivalents that are often confined to research labs.
“Humans already have a great sense of touch. Mantis expands on this innate ability by enabling people to touch and feel 3D objects, adding more depth to the VR experience,” says lead researcher Dr Anne Roudaut, from Bristol’s Department of Computer Science.
“Imagine a user playing a game in Virtual Reality with Mantis attached to their fingers. They could then touch and feel virtual objects, thus immersing themselves both visually and physically in an alternative dimension.”
Dr Roudaut and her PhD student Gareth Barnaby, are in New Orleans (19-23 October) presenting the Mantis at the User Interface Software and Technology (UIST) conference, the premier forum for innovations in human-computer interfaces that brings together people from graphical and web user interfaces, tangible and ubiquitous computing, and virtual and augmented reality.
Project Mantis is also supported by a new a spin-out venture, Senmag Robotics, which researchers hope will enable them to progress their design to market, starting with the production and testing of the first kits ready for release by the end of the year.
“We will be giving out the plans to allow anyone to build a Mantis,” adds Gareth Barnaby. “Because we are keen to make force feedback devices more widespread and not confined to research labs, we are also looking to produce some easy to build kits as well as pre-built versions that we will make available on the website.”
Learn more: New haptic arm places robotics within easy reach
The Latest on: Haptic force feedback
[google_news title=”” keyword=”haptic force feedback” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Haptic force feedback
- Robots enhance limb therapy for patients with neurological conditionson May 8, 2024 at 9:06 pm
Robot-assisted therapy for neurological disorders involves the patient touching and manipulating a physical control interface in response to robotic feedback, in a process called haptic interaction.
- Apple Pencil Pro Unveiled With Haptic Feedback, Find My Support, New Gestureson May 7, 2024 at 10:47 pm
Apple Pencil Pro supports double tap for switch between tools It offers Bluetooth connectivity Apple has added Find My support to the Pencil Pro ...
- Immersion (IMMR) to Report Q1 Earnings: What's in Store?on May 7, 2024 at 9:15 am
Immersion Corporation IMMR is slated to report first-quarter 2024 results on May 8. For the first quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $24.9 million, indicating a 252.8% ...
- Apple Pencil Pro Unveiled With New Squeeze Gesture, Haptic Feedback, Find My, and Moreon May 7, 2024 at 7:33 am
Apple today introduced the Apple Pencil Pro with a new squeeze gesture, haptic feedback, Find My support, and more. This story is being ...
- Haptic feedback and new gestures coming to new Apple Pencil, reports Gurmanon May 1, 2024 at 3:20 pm
The next Apple Pencil, which is rumored to be unveiled next month at Apple's “Let Loose” special event on May 7, is slated to feature haptic feedback and new gestures for the first time, according ...
- The Upcoming Apple Pencil 3 Could Gain Haptic Feedback, New Gestures, and “Find My” Featureon April 29, 2024 at 3:30 am
Apples popular stylus, the Apple Pencil, is expected to receive a major upgrade at their upcoming Let Loose event on May 7th. According to reliable Apple insider Mark Gurman, the highlight of the ...
- New Apple Pencil to include haptic feedback and new gestureson April 28, 2024 at 6:33 am
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports today that the new Pencil will include haptic feedback for the first time. This should help the digital stylus feel more realistic in use. Although details are ...
- Apple Pencil coming on May 7 could buzz users with haptic feedbackon April 27, 2024 at 5:00 pm
The next generation of Apple Pencil could have haptic feedback, buzzing a user's fingers as they draw and write. Apple's holding a special event on May 7, which is expected to include updates to the ...
- The unsung hero behind the modernization of Windows laptopson April 27, 2024 at 4:30 am
We chat with Sensel about the technology behind haptic touchpads, look at some of their cool concepts, and more.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbox ...
- SenseGlove announces worldwide shipping of its Nova 2 haptic gloves for VRon April 24, 2024 at 12:27 am
SenseGlove announces worldwide shipping of its Nova 2 haptic gloves for virtual reality experiences with force feedback | VR News from Auganix.org ...
via Bing News