Event-Based Haptics with Grip Force Compensation

Previous work in event-based haptics has demonstrated that augmenting position-based force feedback with highfrequency impact transients significantly improves the realism of virtual contact. Transients can be portrayed more accurately by accounting for the dynamic relationship between actuator force and hand acceleration, a technique we call acceleration matching. This work extends the method of acceleration matching by analyzing how changes in user grasp dynamics affect the transients produced when tapping on real and virtual objects. We use this understanding to update the event-based paradigm, measuring grip force in real time and adjusting transient output accordingly. When implemented on a system that can provide high-bandwidth, high-magnitude transient current, this new approach successfully compensates for changes in user dynamics, significantly improving the robustness of the event-based haptics paradigm.