Fluid-actuated haptic device and methods for using thereof
AssigneeEcole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne (Epfl)
InventorsZhenishbek Zhakypov, Jamie Paik
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Abstract
A haptic device is disclosed comprising at least one fluidic actuator operatively connectable with pumping means; and a plurality of movable members mechanically connected with said at least one fluidic actuator, wherein said movable members can perform a displacement upon actuation of the fluidic actuator and/or resist the movements of a body part of a user upon actuation of the fluidic actuator, to provide a tactile and/or force haptic sensation to a body part of a user. Methods for providing a haptic sensation to a user and receiving haptic input commands from a user are also disclosed.
Claims19
A haptic device comprising:
- at least one fluidic actuator operatively connectable with pumping means;
- and
- a plurality of movable members mechanically connected with said at least one fluidic actuator
- wherein the at least one fluidic actuator is heat-sealed and cut from a single piece of thermoplastic material, the single piece of thermoplastic material forming a plurality of inflatable portions in the at least one fluidic actuator, wherein each inflatable portion of the plurality of inflatable portions is embedded between a pair of movable members of the plurality of moveable members;
- wherein said movable members can
- perform a displacement upon actuation of the fluidic actuator and/or
- resist the movements of a body part of a user upon actuation of the fluidic actuator
- to provide a tactile and/or force haptic sensation to a body part of a user.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.