A three DoFs wearable tactile display for exploration and manipulation of virtual objects

This paper describes a wearable haptic display with small dimensions and low weight, that allows to simulate on the fingertip a wide range of contact forces. The device consists of two platforms: a static one, fixed on the back side of the finger, which supports three actuators and the mechanical instrumented system, and a mobile one, which interacts directly with the fingertip. The platforms are connected by three cables whose lengths and strains are regulated by the motors. Three force sensors, placed on the mobile platform, measure the actual forces applied to the finger. This work summarizes the design of the proposed display and presents a numerical model analysing the relationship between the forces registered at the fingertip and the platform's orientation and displacement. In order to validate the device an experiment of curvature discrimination has been carried out.