Contact sensation in the synthetic environment using the ISU force reflecting exoskeleton

Force feedback from the virtual world can greatly enhance the sense of immersion even for simple applications. The ISU force reflecting exoskeleton enables the user to interact dynamically with simulated environments by providing an electromagnetic haptic interface between the human and the environment. The paper describes the high bandwidth electromagnetic haptic interface and how it has been used to provide the sense of contact in the synthetic environment. The air gap between the magnetics, carried by the robot, and the coils attached to the human's digits, allows for small relative motion between the human and the robot without affecting the transmission of forces. This flexibility allows the robot to track the human as well as develop appropriate forces from the virtual world. Three different typical synthetic environments are programmed and tested using the ISU force reflecting exoskeleton haptic interface device. The experimental results shows that the magnetic interface gives adequate force levels for perception of virtual objects, enhancing the feeling of immersion in the virtual environment.