Over the past decade, virtual reality (VR) technology has significantly improved in performance and realism, making it possible for users to immerse themselves in digital content in previously inaccessible ways. Over the next few years, the technology will most likely continue to develop, introducing new features and components that further engage the five senses.
A new haptic device has recently been developed by researchers at Westlake University, the Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, and other universities in China. This device has the potential to improve the fidelity and realism of virtual experiences. The Asian art of paper folding known as origami was a source of inspiration for this device, which was presented in Nature Machine Intelligence.
Hanqing Jiang, one of the study’s authors, told Tech Xplore, “I am always interested in trending topics, not just from academia but also from industry sectors.” I’ve been keeping up with the latest AR/VR technology developments since 2019. Mechanical sensation, specifically touching, is an important component in addition to perceptions of sound and sight, but it is still absent from existing technologies.”
“I’ve been following the latest technological breakthroughs in the AR/VR fields since 2019. Mechanical feeling, notably touching, is a crucial component in addition to visual and aural senses, but it is still lacking in existing technology.”
Hanqing Jiang, one of the researchers who carried out the study,
The development of a haptic device that would enable users to also detect the stiffness of the objects they encounter in virtual environments was the primary objective of recent work by Jiang and his coworkers. The team gets their ideas for this from origami, the art of folding paper into specific three-dimensional shapes or figures.
Jiang stated, “My group studied curved origami while I was at Arizona State University and used it to tune stiffness in 2020.” We were inspired by this work to combine the metaverse with origami. At the time, we lacked specific strategies for making it work. I gained the capacity to greatly expand my own group, which now includes mechanical and electrical engineers, when I joined Westlake University in 2021. I also developed a comprehensive strategy to replicate active mechanical sensation in the metaverse using curved origami.
Credits: Westlake University’s Danyang Zhu
Jiang and his colleagues developed an origami-based curved device that allows users to experience the same tactile sensations as if they were touching real objects, including positive and negative tactile sensations as well as the softness and stiffness of those objects. This system may enable humans to have touch-related experiences as they actively interact with objects in virtual environments, as opposed to simply producing tactile sensations when their hands are still, as with other haptic devices that have been introduced in the past.
To produce perfectly timed tactile sensations and alter the user’s perception when interacting with various objects or environments, the device can be easily synchronized with specific VR content. It can cause users to feel like they are being crushed, in addition to reproducing the sensations that people might experience when touching harder or softer objects.
“A curved origami panel is the key component of our system,” Jiang explained. Motors are utilized to alter the angles between the origami panels in order to alter the stiffness simultaneously with the scenes in the VR and AR environments. We experienced what is known as “active mechanical sensation.” In the past, dominant technologies utilized passive vibration to replicate the sensation of touching. Our system could better reflect the fact that humans interact with their physical environments through active sensation.
In a series of preliminary tests, the researchers have evaluated their device’s capability to produce immersive tactile experiences. According to their findings, it performed better than other currently available haptic devices that primarily use vibration to generate tactile sensations.
Their distinctive origami-based design could be used to improve VR technology’s performance in the future. In the meantime, Jiang and his team intend to continue developing their device to successfully replicate additional tactile sensations.
“We now intend to introduce multi-modal sensations, such as active touching, texture, temperature, and so forth,” added Jiang.
More information: Zhuang Zhang et al, Active mechanical haptics with high-fidelity perceptions for immersive virtual reality, Nature Machine Intelligence (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s42256-023-00671-z
