Localised Surface Haptics: Issues and Solutions
Organizers:
David Gueorguiev, Sorbonne université, CNRS, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, ISIR, F-75005, Paris, France david.gueorguiev@isir.upmc.fr
Charles Hudin, Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, List, F-91120, Palaiseau, France charles.hudin@cea.fr
Thomas Daunizeau, Sorbonne université, CNRS, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, ISIR, F-75005, Paris, France thomas.daunizeau@sorbonne-universite.fr
Vincent Hayward, Sorbonne université, CNRS, Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique, ISIR, F-75005, Paris, France vincent.hayward@sorbonne-universite.fr
Abstract:
Many common gestures on smartphones and tablets are done with multiple fingers. The need is even more acute when it comes to assistive haptic surfaces for sensory-impaired people who typically use complex bimanual interactions when they interact with tactile screens. A major challenge in the field of surface haptics is therefore the ability to produce localised stimuli, i.e. to stimulate independently multiple skin areas in simultaneous contact with the same surface. This feature is necessary to leverage the extended contact possibilities of multi-finger or whole hand gestures to communicatemore expressive and informative feedback.
Surface haptics are increasingly able to render a wealth of sensations like textures, compliances, bumps or vibrotactile messages. Although different actuation mechanisms such as vibrotactile stimulation, friction modulation or net force production are targeted, most approaches ultimately rely on vibrations whose propagative nature complexifies the localisation of haptic features on a surface. Presentations will explore state-of-the art and potential solutions to this problem such as wavefield shaping, wave focusing or confinement.
In addition to technical challenges, localised surface haptics also face perception issues. Because of the active nature of touch, there is a complex and astonishing interplay between the stimulus and its exploration by the hand that influences our perceptual representation. For example, masking reduces our ability to distinguish which areas of the surface are activated, summation (spatial and temporal) affects the perceived intensity, gating modulates the tactile transmission to the brain, and funnelling yields sensations of phantom sources. All those perceptual effects and illusions are either detrimental or beneficial to the perceived localisation of stimuli and must be accounted for.
Overall, the proposed workshop will thus review technical and cognitive issues related to localising haptic perception on tactile displays and discuss solutions for designing localised surface devices.