Jörg Reisinger

Interaction-Based Dynamic Measurement of Haptic Characteristics of Control Elements

The force-displacement curve is typically used today to haptically characterize control elements. Elements with the same curve, however, may still lead to quite different percepts because the curve describes only static information. To overcome this limitation, a new dynamic measurement method is introduced. It can directly measure dynamic interaction signals between a finger mimicking measurement device and control elements. Using this measurement method, also novel control elements like touchpads with active haptic feedback can be technically specified and evaluated for the first time.

Examples of Haptic System Development

In this section, several examples of task-specific haptic systems are given. They give an insight into the process of defining haptic interactions for a given purpose and illustrate the development and evaluation process outlined in this book so far. Examples were chosen by the editors to cover different basic system structures. Section 14.1—Tactile You-Are-Here-Maps illustrates the usage of a tactile display in an assistive manner, enabling a more autonomous movement of people with visual impairments. Section 14.2—User Interface for Automotive Applications presents the development of a haptic interface for a new kind of user interaction in a car. It incorporates touch input and is able to simulate different key characteristics for intuitive haptic feedback. Section 14.3—HapCath describes a comanipulation system to provide additional haptic feedback in cardiovascular interventions. The feedback is intended to reduce exposure for both patient and physician and to permit new kinds of diagnosis during an intervention.