haptics
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Robotic drum "teacher" trains the next Bonham
An MIT researcher has developed a tool for students learning to play the drums which can speed up the time it takes for newcomers to pick up the instrument. The device, a robotic arm designer Graham Grindlay calls the "Haptic Guidance System" (or HAGUS), uses a drumstick fastened to a set of motors which a user holds while being led on beat. A brace holds the arm in place while the machine plays back a pre-recorded pattern -- in studies, Grindlay found that students with no drumming experience were able to hit the drum 18 percent more effectively after using the HAGUS. A spokesman from the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford says the work does a "wonderful job" demonstrating the ability of haptic devices to train beginning musicians. So... can a Rock Band implementation of this be far behind?[Via Digg]
Sony Ericsson files patent on haptic gaming device, doesn't call it PSPhone
It's nice to know that Sony Ericsson is plugging away on making our crazy, dare-to-dream fantasies a reality. The latest proof that someone up there (and by up there, we mean Japan) likes us comes in the form of a new patent for a touchscreen handheld that forgoes physical buttons for a haptic-feedback scheme. The design mandates that the phone / game device would be free of the pesky clutter of regular buttons, and would instead by configurable to any number of forms (PSP, phone, MP3 player, digital camera) by arrangement of on-screen controls. The device would vibrate in accordance with button-presses, though it's unclear whether this will just be a standard vibration, or a more advanced, location-specific feedback system. Even with a little buzz, we're not quite sure you can replicate the feeling real gaming controls provide -- and that could seriously interfere with our typical success in games.[Via Unwired View]
iphone-haptics makes typing on the iPhone just a little more lively
Haptics are still more of a novelty than a necessity in the phone world (RAZR 2 owners, we know you're feeling us there), and if we could think of one single way to significantly increase the visibility of the technology and its mobile applications, it'd be to get it fired up on the iPhone -- a device where tactile feedback is definitely... shall we say, at a premium. Enter iphone-haptics, an app that's still in its teething stages but gives a sneak peek at the future of rumblin' keyboards on everyone's favorite Apple handset, letting users test out just what it feels like to be buzzed with every key press using a sample text editor. We're far from convinced that this is going to improve speed or accuracy for most folks -- not to mention battery drain concerns -- but hey, maybe the delightfully pleasant sensation alone is worth it. Who are we to judge?[Thanks, Suzy]
LG's slinky KF510 slider is ready to rumble
The run-up to 3GSM GSMA Mobile World Congress has begun with the announcement of LG's KF510 slider. Launching February 11th in Barcelona, the new 10.9-mm thin phone features a metal frame and tempered glass touch interface. LG primarily touts the phone's "advanced touch technology" (incorporating VibeTouch haptic feedback like their Voyager, we presume), 3 megapixel camera, and MP3 player. Available worldwide in March in Stardust Dark Gray or Sunset Red. How sweet.%Gallery-15302%[Via AVING]
Nokia licenses Immersion's VibeTonz haptic goodness
Immersion hopes we're creatures of mobile haptics, as the company has licensed its VibeTonz whole-mobile haptic engagement software platform to Nokia. VibeTonz, already licensed to Samsung and included in the SCH-W559 from Verizon Wireless (and many more Samsung handsets), slaps multi-stage vibrating haptics into mobile games, ringtones, menu systems and more. Immersion calls it a "multisensory experience," which we find to be an accurate description. With Nokia onboard, we would not be surprised to see the cellphone sales leader start touting VibeTonz as a "must have" feature in its newer handset models. After all, no retrofit is needed -- VibeTonz is basically software control over vibrating motors only (no extra hardware required).[via MobileTechNews]
Haptic Clock beats the time into you
Given that its timekeeping capability rivals actual... you know, calling as the mobile phone's most important function in our lives, we figure it's a function worth embellishing just a bit. Why stop at analog or digital? Che-Wei Wang's "Haptic Clock" Java app features a cool looking (if not obfuscated) display of the time, but even better, it vibrates the time to you every fifteen minutes using a sequence of long and short pulses. The feature can be manually initiated by pressing the 5 key, too, so we could even see some value for vision impaired folks. Grab the app from Wang's site, but beware -- as the developer himself points out, it works a number on battery life.[Via Future Feeder]
Hands-on with Amex's "Touch Sense" Keyboard and Skype dual-phone
If you're coming here to find out if Amex was able to deliver on the promise to "deliver the ultimate in feel and response" from a touch-sensitive keyboard, well, you'll have to check back later. They showed up at CeBIT with plastic mock-ups, not working prototypes -- still, that's more than we can say for others. The visit wasn't a complete waste, however. We now know that "Touch Sense" equates to a Cypress developed haptic interaction solution whereby each key-tap triggers a brief flash of light and sound. Although we knew that the TSK-VX7 keyboard has small, we were still surprised to see just how crazy small and slim the device plastic mockup really is. Even the price is small at something like $25 when it ships. That makes the pear-shaped TSP-VS501 all the more chubby in contrast. My, my what sneaky marketers you use for your product shots Amex. See 'em all in the gallery below.%Gallery-2164%
Haptic systems to bring feeling back to robotic instruments
We've heard some very intelligent humans suggest that computerized beings just might be a bit more adept at handling complicated tasks, but some things just require a little TLC from the human hand. While even the operating room wasn't safe from robotic takeover, researchers at The Johns Hopkins University are testing new ways to bring real feelings back to human doctors using robotic helpers in order to operate. Straight from a chapter in Trauma Center, the team is developing haptic technologies to provide close-to-real feedback to surgeons while handling robotic tools. One option undergoing testing is the attachment of "force sensors" to instruments, which are capable of conveying details about force, direction, and depth that are critical when performing incisions and other precise tasks. The alternative is to "create mathematical computer models" that represent tool movements, and consequently relay the haptic data back to the person in charge. While kinks continue to be worked out in the primary methods, researchers have developed an "interim" system that uses color-based sensors to inform doctors how much pressure is being applied (i.e. red for intense pressure, green for light), and the team plans on "refining the systems" to produce a more usable result in the near future.[Via MedGadget]
Haptics research underway so you can virtually feel fabrics
We're not really sure that there's going to be any consumer haptics devices outside the context of a video game anytime soon, but that hasn't stopped the European Union from funding the HAPTEX (HAPtic sensing of virtual TEXtiles) project. Haptics, of course, is the study of touch sensory feedback, and scientists at the University of Geneva are currently working on a project that will incorporate touch into your online shopping. So let's say that you're looking online to buy pants, but you're not sure if you want corduroys or jeans -- in case you didn't know what those materials felt like, you'd touch a device that would allow you to feel the various textures. The project is due to end exactly one year from now, so that's when we'll find out if the €1.66 million ($2.11 million) that EU taxpayers shelled out was really worth it -- and what devices, if any, will come to fruition.
GRAB proves haptics research is in for a bumpy ride
One of the first times that we encountered haptics, or the study of force feedback, was while playing StarFox 64 back in 1997 (was it really that long ago?), with its Rumble Pak -- that little motor that shook the whole controller every time you sustained a laser hit. Today, haptics has gone from the realm of stellar video games to simulating the edge of a knife. A team of Mexican and Italian scientists announced last week that they've created virtual surfaces to fool the brain into thinking that a flat surface is actually bumpy or pointed. The researchers created a system called GRAB, which consists of a mechanized thimble, connected to the end of a motorized arm. Once the subject puts a finger inside the thimble, various motors create force feedback, and limit motion along a left-right axis, all of which could be used in medical robotics and training, so that surgeon hopefuls can better simulate operations without actually cutting any flesh. Better yet, if these scientists continue along this route, by the time the next version of Call of Duty comes out, receiving a bayonet jab may feel really close to actually drawing blood.[Via Futurismic]
Immersion: haptics will make touch screens easier to use
If you're like us, phones with on-screen keypads seem like a great idea until you actually try to use them, at which point you realize just how important the sense of touch is to your ability to type a phone number accurately. While waiting for Sony to make their next move, Immersion Corporation is using some of its down time to show off haptic touch screens, which pulse in sync with a user's taps to provide some feedback that a virtual button has been pressed. As you might guess, they're looking to market the technology to smartphone manufacturers, but to the best of our knowledge, no partners have been announced. We'd prefer screens that change shape in response to what's being displayed -- maybe Immersion can get going on that if they end up scoring $90 million in the Dual Shock fiasco.
Seen@GDC: the Novint Falcon haptic interface device
Some of you may remember seeing the Novint Falcon before. The Falcon is a 3D controller that uses "haptic" technology to replicate the sense of touch. While the device itself appears a bit unwieldily, the fluidity of the control it provided was remarkably subtle and realistic. Roll your cursor over a ball, and the controller pushes back just the right amount, giving you the tactile sensation that you're actually touching it. If the ball is pitted, the controller dips in and out of the contours. If it's abrasive, it moves slower with just the slightest amount of rumble. Other demos included a Barney-shooting FPS, a bow and arrow simulation, a tethered bouncy ball, and a basketball freethrow. Like the Revmote, the Falcon is being shown with tech demos designed to accentuate its strengths, but how will actual games work with the controller? Novint told me that they have developed their own API that game designers can incorporate into their titles, but it was unclear if the controller would work with existing games. They said it should be out in 2007 for less than $100. For some more info, check out Firing Squad's GDC interview with the guys at Novint.[Pictured above: MTV News' Stephen Totilo gropes the Falcon]
