FlyHaptics: Flying Multi-contact Haptic Interface

TL;DR

FlyHaptics introduces a drone-mounted multi-contact haptic interface capable of delivering tactile feedback, validated through pilot studies showing stable hover and recognition accuracy, paving the way for immersive VR and remote interaction applications.

Contribution

This work presents the first drone-mounted multi-contact haptic device with predefined tactile patterns and demonstrates its stable operation and recognition capabilities.

Findings

86.5% recognition accuracy of tactile patterns

Stable hover and force output in flight

Feasibility for immersive VR and teleoperation

Abstract

This work presents FlyHaptics, an aerial haptic interface tracked via a Vicon optical motion capture system and built around six five-bar linkage assemblies enclosed in a lightweight protective cage. We predefined five static tactile patterns - each characterized by distinct combinations of linkage contact points and vibration intensities - and evaluated them in a grounded pilot study, where participants achieved 86.5 recognition accuracy (F(4, 35) = 1.47, p = 0.23) with no significant differences between patterns. Complementary flight demonstrations confirmed stable hover performance and consistent force output under realistic operating conditions. These pilot results validate the feasibility of drone-mounted, multi-contact haptic feedback and lay the groundwork for future integration into fully immersive VR, teleoperation, and remote interaction scenarios.