Development of a tactile camera for deformable surfaces

The tactile display for virtual reality and tclcpresencc or telexistcncc systems is continuously being enhanccd to creatc an cffcctive human-cnvironment interface, Among the kcy elements in teleprcscnce systems, the tactile observing dcvice, called the tactilc camera, plays the important role of obtaining tactile information from tactile objects, Previous; systems based on haptic feedback systems provide only limited superficial information. This paper presents the development of a new tactile camera that explores beneath a deformablc surface as well as providing surface information. Experiments verified that this device is capable of exploring a complex tactile object.