Virtual deformable object with haptic feedback: proxy surface interpolation

A 3DOF haptic device is used to enable touch in a virtual environment via force feedback. Force feedback can be used, for example, to make surgery simulators more realistic. In this video, a simple object (blue) is represented by a finite element model (FEM). FEM enables realistic force feedback but is computationally expensive. The discretization results in discontinuities in the object surface normal and, hence, the direction of the force which is fed back to the human operator. To smoothen the force direction, the object surface is interpolated locally (red patch). The so-called proxy, or god-object, (blue sphere) is the hand position of the human operator (red sphere) on the undeformed object. Especially at the edges, the surface interpolation results in a smoothed proxy position and, hence, smoothed nodal forces (red thin lines) and smoothed force feedback (red thick line).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• haptics
• deformable
• proxy
• god-object
• finite element model
• university of victoria