STEM: Soft Tactile Electromagnetic Actuator for Virtual Environment Interactions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a soft, multi-modal tactile actuator that enhances virtual reality experiences by providing diverse haptic feedback beyond vibrations, including force indentation and stiffness simulation.

Contribution

It presents a novel soft electromagnetic actuator capable of multi-modal tactile feedback, improving VR immersion and enabling complex interactions like grasping virtual objects.

Findings

Enables diverse tactile stimuli such as indentation and vibration

Improves VR immersion through realistic haptic feedback

Allows virtual object stiffness simulation

Abstract

The research aims to expand tactile feedback beyond vibrations to various modes of stimuli, such as indentation, vibration, among others. By incorporating soft material into the design of a novel tactile actuator, we can achieve multi-modality and enhance the device's wearability, which encompasses compliance, safety, and portability. The proposed tactile device can elevate the presence and immersion in VR by enabling diverse haptic feedback such as, force indentation, vibration and other arbitrary force outputs. This approach enables the rendering of haptic interactions with virtual objects, such as grasping of aa 3D virtual object to feel its stiffness - action that was difficult to achieve using widely adopted vibrotactile motors.