A Robot Arm-based Haptic Feedback System for Augmented Reality Applications

Recent advances in Augmented and Virtual Reality show that they will play a critical role in our daily lives. However, interaction in such virtual environments is challenging as digital contents cannot be physically felt. Although numerous researchers proposed different methods to achieve haptic feedback, most implementations are cumbersome and unsuitable for daily use. Accordingly, we developed a wearable robotic appendage that can provide various types of haptic feedback in AR. Our system comprises a 4 DoF robot worn on the user's forearm and equipped with a square end-effector. We demonstrate potential applications of our system for providing haptic experiences with UI's in AR and conduct a preliminary evaluation to explore users' impressions of our robotic appendage. Overall, the system is well-received by participants, yet they indicated challenges in weight and hand-tracking. Lastly, we discuss future research directions in light of the design and evaluation of our system.