Summary Software Haptics Hardware Network Visual Arts	HAPTICS Haptics is the science that deals with the sense of touch. I have written haptic collision detection and response software which I use when I create haptic applications like the ones shown below. I have worked with many haptic devices including the Novint Falcon, Sensable's Omni & Desktop devices, Force Dimension's Omega 3 and MPB's Freedom 6S. Novint Technologies Inc. I created the video below to give a brief introduction to haptics and some of the effects that can be created using the Falcon. When you use a Haptic device you can actually feel if objects are heavy or light or even how stiff/hard they are as shown in the engine assembly demo at the end of the video. Friction, inertia and mass are all important properties that need to be modeled when creating a haptic application. In the demo shown below, a ball is controlled via a haptic device. When the ball makes contact with the box you can feel the interaction with your hand. Notice that I can interact with the box through friction alone when I slide the ball around on the top of the box. The virtual injection haptic simulation that I created is shown below. I was given 2D images and told that in the simulation the user should be able to inject fluid into the knee and shoulder. I created the 3D model of the syringe and the required haptic models to be used in the simulation. I added the sensation of puncturing through human skin, and tissue resistance as you move the needle inside the muscle and cartilage. If the needle hits bones then the motion is restricted via the haptic device. All GUI and graphics were programmed by me using OpenGL and C++. Handshake VR Inc. In this dental simulation, the user controls a dental pick and uses it to poke around inside a patient's mouth. Since this is a haptic application, you can feel every tooth with the pick and even the fleshy parts of the mouth. The virtual patient periodically speaks which causes the jaw to move up and down. I created the 3D model of the head using Poser. In this fishing game, the player holds a haptic device which acts like a fishing rod. The rod’s motion is in full 6DOF. When a fish takes a bite, the bobber in the water goes under briefly and at the same time, the player will feel a tug downward through the haptic device. The player must quickly react to the tug by pulling forcefully upward on the fishing pole. If this happens fast enough, they will catch a fish! This haptic medical simulation is used to train doctors to perform the lumbar puncture (spinal tap) procedure. A needle is controlled in 6DOF using a haptic device. A Medical 3D scan of a patient’s skeleton was used for the 3D model. When the needle punctures the skin, you begin to feel resistance inside the body due to tissues and muscle (not shown visually, but you can feel them haptically). If you hit bone, the needle can not be pushed in any further. The player controls a drum stick using a haptic device to hit the xylophone. Depending on which key is struck, a different note (A-G) is played back. All collisions can be felt through the haptic device. You can select between four different musical instruments using the icons at the bottom of the screen. A haptic device is used to control a cone in 3D space. When the point of the cone touches the surface of the penny, you can feel the surface roughness and contours of the penny.

©2005 - 2010 Marek A. Krzeminski, All Rights Reserved - Webmaster