Augmenting Heteronanostructure Visualization with Haptic Feedback

We address the need of researchers in nanotechnology who desire an increased level of perceptualization of their simulation data by adding haptic feedback to existing multidimensional volumetric visualizations. Our approach uses volumetric data from simulation of an LED heteronanostructure, and it translates projected values of amplitude of an electromagnetic field into a force that is delivered interactively to the user. The user can vary the types of forces, and they are then applied to a haptic feedback device with three degrees of freedom. We describe our methods to simulate the heteronanostructure, volume rendering, and generating adequate forces for feedback. A thirty one subject study was performed. Users were asked to identify key areas of the heteronanostructure with only visualization, and then with visualization and the haptic device. Our results favor the usage of haptic devices as a complement to 3-D visualizations of the volumetric data. Test subjects responded that haptic feedback helped them to understand the data. Also, the shape of the structure was better recognized with the use of visuohaptic feedback than with visualization only.