Soft Haptics for Virtual Reality and Tele-Operation Applications

Humans are experts at using soft touch to efficiently manipulate a vast range of objects in a variety of situations. In several application domains, rigid robotic solutions such as exoskeletons and vibrotactile gloves have been designed in an attempt to tap into this human potential. In our lab, we are exploring soft robotic solutions for creating more comfortable and more compelling haptic displays. With these displays, we hope to enable a soft touch in Virtual Reality and tele-operation applications. In this talk, I will present our work on design, control and attachment strategies of these soft displays. I will also discuss our recent perceptual experiments in which we directly compare task performance of humans wearing rigid and soft haptic feedback displays.