Mauricio Orozco

A guided tour in haptic audio visual environments and applications

The science of haptics has received enormous attention in the last decade. Activities in different disciplines such as robotics, computer graphics, and psychophysics have been the foundation of haptic science. Nowadays, haptic research comprises four interdisciplinary research branches: human haptics, machine haptics, computer haptics, and the newly introduced multimedia haptics. This paper traces the evolution of haptics technology from the introductory concepts and haptic system architecture, to current technology in the four haptics research branches and applications. Finally, we summarise our findings and present a vision for overcoming challenges and our direction for future research in this area.

A Novel Biometric System for Identification and Verification of Haptic Users

Currently, almost all systems involve an identity authentication process before a user can access requested services such as online transactions, entrance to a secured vault, logging into a computer system, accessing laptops, secure access to buildings, etc. Therefore, authentication has become the core of any secure system, wherein most of the cases rely on identity recognition approaches. Biometric systems provide the solution to ensure that the rendered services are accessed only by a legitimate user and no one else. Biometric systems identify users based on behavioral or physiological characteristics. The advantages of such systems over traditional authentication methods, such as passwords and IDs, are well known; hence, biometric systems are gradually gaining ground in terms of usage. We investigate the issues related to the usage of haptics as a mechanism to extract behavioral features that define a biometric identifier system. In order to test this possibility, we design a haptic system in which position, velocity, force, and torque data from the instrument is continuously measured and stored as users perform a specific task. We analyze the information content of the haptic data generated directly from the instruments interface. We then measure the physical attributes such as force and torque that provide the richest information content pertaining to a users identity. Through a series of experimental work, we discover that haptic interfaces are more suited to verification mode rather than identification mode. Finally, we implement a biometric system based on haptics

Haptic-Based Biometrics: A Feasibility Study

Biometric systems identify users based on behavioral or physiological characteristics. The advantages of such systems over traditional authentication methods such as passwords are well known and hence biometric systems are gradually gaining ground in terms of usage. This paper explores the feasibility of automatically and continuously identifying participants in Haptic systems. Such a biometric system could be used for authentication in any Haptic based application, such as tele-operation or tele-training, not only at the beginning of the session, but continuously and throughout the session as it progresses. In order to test this possibility, we designed a Haptic system in which position, velocity, force and torque data from the tool was continuously measured and stored as users were performing a specific task. Subsequently, several algorithms and methods were developed to extract biometric features from the measured data. Overall, the results suggest reasonable practicality of implementing haptic-based biometric systems, and that it is an avenue worth pursuing; although they also indicate that it might be quite difficult to develop a highly accurate Haptic ID algorithm.

Human Haptic Perception

In this chapter, we discuss the tactile and kinesthetic perceptual processes and the functions of the human perceptual system. An understanding of the human perception process is essential to the design and development of haptic devices and software, especially in order to maximize their performance and cost efficiency. For example, the Pacinian corpuscle, one of the four major types of mechanoreceptors in human skin, detects rapid vibrations of about 200–300Hz; therefore, to stimulate these receptors, the vibration range of motors used in vibrotactile devices do not need to operate at frequencies over 300Hz. Additionally, this chapter introduces haptic perceptual illusions. These can play an important role in fooling human haptic perception and generating a more complex touch sensation than the stimulus actually delivers.

Experiments in haptic-based authentication of humans

With the rapid advancement of the technological revolution, computer technology such as faster processors, advanced graphic cards, and multi-media systems are becoming more affordable. Haptics technology is a force/tactile feedback technology growing in disciplines linked to human–computer interaction. Similar to the increasing complexity of silicon-based components, haptics technology is becoming more advanced. On the other hand, currently available commercial haptics interfaces are expensive, and their application is mostly dedicated to enormous research projects or systems. However, the trend of the market is forcing haptic developers to release products for use in conjunction with current keyboards and mice technologies. Haptics allows a user to touch, fell, manipulate, create, and/or alter simulated three-dimensional objects in a virtual environment. Most of the existing applications of haptics are dedicated to hone human physical skills such as sensitive hardware repair, medical procedures, handling hazardous substances, etc. These skills can be trained in a realistic virtual world, and describe human behavioural patterns in human–computer interaction environments. The measurement of such psychomotor patterns can be used to verify a person’s identity by assessing unique-to-the-individual behavioural attributes. This paper explores the unique behaviour exhibited by different users interacting with haptic systems. Through several haptic-based applications, users’ physical attributes output data from the haptic interface for use in the construction of a biometric system.

Automatic Identification of Participants in Haptic Systems

Biometric systems identify of users based on behavioral or physiological characteristics. This paper explores the feasibility of automatically identifying participants in haptic systems. Such a biometric system would lead to important and interesting applications such as continuous authentication in tele-operation. In order to test this feasibility, we designed a haptic system in which position, velocity, force and torque data from the tool was continuously measured and stored. Using this system, users navigated a simple maze where the user generates a continuous path from start to finish. Subsequently, several algorithms were developed to extract characteristic biometric features from the measured data. A 78.8% probability of verification was observed for data from trained users. Overall, the paper suggests the possibility of extracting identity information in a real world haptic system

The Role of Haptics in Games

Today, playing a video game is a different story than what it was twenty years ago in many senses. Game consoles have steadily gained popularity not only among kids but also among other age groups. For example, today, the Xbox 360 from Microsoft comes with Kinect technology which is based on webcam built in system for users to control and interact with the console without the need for conventional game controller to bring entertainment and playing games to people of all ages. On the other hand electronic gadgets including smart phones have changed the way game controllers, pads, buttons, joy sticks can be used with the incorporation of haptic and sensing technologies. Additionally, impressive graphics and 3D rendering displays are creating virtual environments more realistic which have the potential to capture the gamer’s attention all throughout the gaming process. As stated by Jurgelionis and others: “The increasing number of broadband users, and a demand for quality and diversity in entertainment services drives the development of new pervasive entertainment systems” (Jurgelionis et al., 2007). Indeed, they also stated that such entertainment systems should be accessible without any limits on time and location.

Haptic Instrumentation for Physical Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients

The recovery of hand functions in post-stroke patients relies on the length of therapy that is available to them. Rehabilitation exercises supervised by occupational therapists are characterized by repetitiveness and a constant increase in intensity. However, due to resource limitations, facilities and time allocated to recovering stroke patients restrict the maximum level of rehabilitation that can be attained. Various efforts have therefore been spent into rehabilitation themes set in virtual environments, sometimes using haptic devices, in order to create affordable stand-alone systems that patients could use at home. This study carries forward in that direction by implementing hapto-virtual reality based exercises for the purposes of hand rehabilitation. In this paper, we present a haptic-based rehabilitation system that can be set in the patients own house to provide him/her with treatment that is not restricted by time and facilities and that offers continuous evaluation of the patients improvement

VR-Based Hand Rehabilitation using a Haptic-Based Framework

Haptic-based hand rehabilitation exercises set in virtual environments have not focused on analyzing the data captured during exercises to draw conclusions that relate to specific aspects of the hand. The framework proposed in this study implemented virtual reality exercises carried out with the use of haptic devices for use in stroke rehabilitation. The exercises were tested with healthy subjects to collect information pertaining to the hand performance; namely movements and grip kinematics. The collected information was extracted from data recorded during the exercise. By analyzing the data, the research effort deduced certain analysis patterns that would provide occupational therapists with a means to continuously evaluate a patients performance, and hence provide him/her with adaptive recovery courses

Recognizing and quantifying human movement patterns through haptic-based applications

Biometrics has been introduced recently to identify people by their behavior and physiological features. It offers a wide application scope to detect fraud attempts in organizations, corporations, educational institutions, electronic resources and even crime scenes. The field of biometrics can be divided into two main classes according to features that humans are born with, such as fingerprints or facial features, or behavioral characteristics of humans, like a handwritten signature or voice (J. Ortega-Garcia et al., 2004). The work presented in this paper pursues the latter class, specifically how a person reacts to using daily devices or tools. The fact that we can exploit peoples habits in handling devices to identity individuals was the hypothesis that motivated this work. Among the many examples of the potential use of this class of biometrics is the particular force applied to the keys in a keyboard. There is also the time interval between each keypad when dialing a telephone number. Another example that can be extracted from the latter would be the map described by the fingers in navigating through solving maze operation. Extracting these features by using a haptic-based application and defining the subsequent individual pattern is the objective of this research. A framework that identifies behavioral patterns through physical parameters such as direction, force, pressure and velocity has been built. The set up for the experimental work consisted of a multisensory tool, using the Reachin system (Reachin Technologies, Users Programmers Guide and API).