Maglev Haptic Interfaces

Magnetic Levitation Gives Computer Users Sense of Touch
NSF Makes Carnegie Mellon Invention Available to More Researchers

PITTSBURGH -- Computers, long used as tools to design and manipulate three-dimensional objects, may soon provide people with a way to sense the texture of those objects or feel how they fit together, thanks to a haptic, or touch-based, interface developed at Carnegie Mellon University.

Unlike most other haptic interfaces that rely on motors and mechanical linkages to provide some sense of touch or force feedback, the device developed by Ralph Hollis, research professor in Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, uses magnetic levitation and a single moving part to give users a highly realistic experience. Users can perceive textures, feel hard contacts and notice even slight changes in position while using an interface that responds rapidly to movements.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• carnegie
• mellon
• robotics
• institute
• maglev
• haptic
• cmu
• hollis
• ri

[k166a]

Wow! New mouse anyone?

[Hyper5nic]

This is a really usefull interface!

I can imagine it would greately enhance 3D applications for design, 3D gaming and interactive methods for communicating.