Haptic Interfaces


The University of Utah has a strong haptics group, whose members include: Two of the projects are discussed below.

Fingernail Force Sensing

The goal of this project is to measure fingertip forces by imaging coloration changes in the fingernail and surrounding skin. There are two approaches towards imaging the fingernail.
  1. Photoplethysmograph sensor
  2. External camera imaging

Virtual Prototyping

The goal in virtual prototyping is to add a sense of touch to the mechanical design process. Aspects of this research include:
  1. Real-time collision detection
  2. Reality-based models of buttons and switches
  3. Haptic rendering of contact forces