An Open-Source Ungrounded Hapkit for Educational Applications

The Hapkit is an open-source kinesthetic device used by educators to teach fundamentals of haptic interaction. Despite its pedagogical benefits, it cannot showcase ungrounded interactions. Here, we introduce an ungrounded Hapkit variant that generates moments at the wrist as the user interacts with a virtual environment. The device utilizes existing Hapkit hardware with 3D printed modifications to enable ungrounded kinesthetic feedback. We developed Arduino and Processing code that simulates ungrounded impacts, such as hitting a tennis ball, to demonstrate functionality. This device can serve as a valuable pedagogical tool in conjunction with the well-established Hapkit.