Lightweight Fingernail Haptic Device: Unobstructed Fingerpad Force and Vibration Feedback for Enhanced Virtual Dexterous Manipulation

TL;DR

This paper introduces a lightweight, unobstructed fingertip haptic device that provides effective force and vibration feedback for virtual manipulation, improving performance without hindering real-world interactions.

Contribution

The study presents a novel, minimal-weight haptic device integrated with physics-based feedback, enhancing virtual dexterous manipulation while maintaining finger flexibility and daily wearability.

Findings

Participants perceived pressure and vibration feedback effectively.

Haptic cues improved virtual task efficiency.

Device preserved tactile sensations and did not hinder real-world use.

Abstract

This study presents a lightweight, wearable fingertip haptic device that provides physics-based haptic feedback for dexterous manipulation in virtual environments without hindering real-world interactions. The device, designed with thin strings and actuators attached to the fingernails, ensures minimal weight (1.55 g per finger) and preserves finger flexibility. Integrating the software with a physics engine renders multiple types of haptic feedback (grip force, collision, and sliding vibration feedback). We evaluated the device's performance in pressure perception, slip feedback, typical dexterous manipulation tasks, and daily operations, and we gathered user experience through subjective assessments. Our results show that participants could perceive and respond to pressure and vibration feedback. Through dexterous manipulation experiments, we further demonstrated that these minimal haptic cues significantly improved virtual task efficiency, showcasing how lightweight haptic feedback can enhance manipulation performance without complex mechanisms. The device's ability to preserve tactile sensations and minimize hindrance to real-world operations is a key advantage over glove-type haptic devices. This research offers a potential solution for designing haptic interfaces that balance lightweight construction, haptic feedback for dexterous manipulation, and daily wearability.