Virtual Reality and Haptics

Nowadays, communication between computer and human, i.e., the exchange of information and the interaction with the machine, follows several commonly accepted paradigms. In the majority of cases, the interface between man and machine consists of screen, printer, keyboard and mouse, sometimes a scanner, head set or a graphics tablet. Most people take these tools for granted, although the work with them has to be learned and is not intuitive. The question is if there are more intuitive ways and metaphors to work and communicate with the computer. Here at the Welfenlab we research this and related questions.

One possibility for another interface design is the creation of a virtual world inside the computer that reflects our reality, which we are used to interact with. Such a virtual world or virtual reality should cosely correspond to our perception of the real world, adhering to the same natural laws and containing the same objects. In recent years, the main focus was on computer graphics and to a lesser extent on computer sounds, leading to three dimensional high resolution visualizations, that are sometimes indistinguishable from reality.

It was an early discovery that the combination of different senses in the interaction, so-called multi-modal interaction, can noticeably augment the efficiency. Due to limitations of computing power, the integration of non-visual channels, such as haptics has only just begun.

• HAPTEX - HAPtic sensing of virtual TEXtiles was a project funded by the European Union within the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) from December 2004 to November 2007. The goal of the project was a VR system for the visual and haptic simulation of real textiles. The responsibility of our laboratory was the development of the haptic renderer. The system in use is presented in a short video clip:

• Haptics, VR and CAD in the automotive industry, cooperation with the Volkswagen VR Research Laboratory from 1997-2005, has led to two external dissertations of employees of the Volkswagen VR research laboratories.

• Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann, Pascal Volino, Ugo Bonanni, Ian R. Summers, Massimo Bergamasco, Fabio Salsedo, Franz-Erich Wolter. From Physics-based Simulation to the Touching of Textiles: The HAPTEX Project. In The International Journal of Virtual Reality 6 (2007), no. 3, 35-44.
• Niklas Peinecke, Dennis Allerkamp, Franz-Erich Wolter. Generating Tactile Textures Using Periodicity Analysis. In Proceedings of Cyberworlds 2007.
• Guido Böttcher, Dennis Allerkamp, Franz-Erich Wolter. Virtual Reality Systems Modelling Haptic Two-Finger Contact With Deformable Physical Surfaces. In Proceedings of Cyberworlds 2007.
• Marco Fontana, Simone Marcheschi, Federico Tarri, Fabio Salsedo, Massimo Bergamasco, Dennis Allerkamp, Guido Böttcher, Franz-Erich Wolter, Alan C. Brady, Jianguo Qu, Ian R. Summers. Integrating Force and Tactile Rendering Into a Single VR System. In Proceedings of Cyberworlds 2007.
• D. Allerkamp, G. Böttcher, F.-E. Wolter, A.C. Brady, J. Qu, I.R. Summers. A Vibrotactile Approach to Tactile Rendering. The Visual Computer , 23(2):97 – 108, 2007.
• D. Allerkamp, G. Böttcher, A.C. Brady, J. Qu, I.R. Summers, F.-E. Wolter. Tactile Rendering: A Vibrotactile Approach. In Proceedings of HAPTEX '05 - Workshop on Haptic and Tactile Perception of Deformable Objects. Division of Computer Graphics, University of Hannover, December 2005.
• P. Volino, P. Davy, U. Bonanni, N. Magnenat-Thalmann, G. Böttcher, D. Allerkamp, F.-E. Wolter. From measured physical parameters to the haptic feeling of fabric. In Proceedings of HAPTEX '05 - Workshop on Haptic and Tactile Perception of Deformable Objects. Division of Computer Graphics, University of Hannover, December 2005.
• F. Salsedo, M. Fontana, F. Tarri, E. Ruffaldi, M. Bergamasco, N. Magnenat-Thalmann, P. Volino, U. Bonanni, A. Brady, I. Summers, J. Qu, D. Allerkamp, G. Böttcher, F.-E. Wolter, M. Mäkinen, H. Meinander. Architectural Design of the Haptex System. In Proceedings of HAPTEX '05 - Workshop on Haptic and Tactile Perception of Deformable Objects. Division of Computer Graphics, University of Hannover, December 2005.

• PhD Thesis. Modeling VR systems for haptic interaction with mechanical objects especially textiles. Guido Böttcher (in progress).
  
• PhD Thesis. Generation of Stimuli Supporting Tactile Perception of Textiles in a VR System. Dennis Allerkamp (in progress).
• PhD Thesis. Virtual Reality Methods for Industrial Interior Design in Automotive Engineering. Malte Schulze, Volkswagen AG, Virtual Reality Lab, 2005.
• PhD Thesis. Virtual Assembly and Disassembly via Flexible Components using Adapted Force Feedback Devices. Ralf Rabätje, Volkswagen AG, Virtual Reality Lab, 2002.