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16 pages, 2899 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Emotional Response to Vibrothermal Stimuli

by Yatiraj Shetty, Shubham Mehta, Diep Tran, Bhavica Soni and Troy McDaniel

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(19), 8905; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11198905 - 24 Sep 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1675

Abstract

Emotional response to haptic stimuli is a widely researched topic, but the combination of vibrotactile and thermal stimuli requires more attention. The purpose of this study is to investigate emotional response to vibrothermal stimulation by combining spatiotemporal vibrotactile stimulus with dynamic thermal stimulus [...] Read more.

Emotional response to haptic stimuli is a widely researched topic, but the combination of vibrotactile and thermal stimuli requires more attention. The purpose of this study is to investigate emotional response to vibrothermal stimulation by combining spatiotemporal vibrotactile stimulus with dynamic thermal stimulus (hot or cold). The vibrotactile and thermal stimuli were produced using the Haptic Chair and the Embr wave thermal bracelet, respectively. The results show that spatiotemporal vibrotactile patterns and their duration, and dynamic thermal stimulation, have an independent effect on the emotional response. Increasing duration generally increases the valence and arousal of emotional response. Shifting the dynamic temperature from cold to hot generally decreases the valence of emotional response but has no significant effect on arousal. Nevertheless, certain spatiotemporal patterns do exhibit unique responses to changes in dynamic temperature, although no interaction effects were found. The results show the potential of designing affective haptic interfaces using multimodal vibrothermal feedback. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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13 pages, 2315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Force Sensation Induced by Electrical Stimulation of the Tendon of Biceps Muscle

by Akifumi Takahashi and Hiroyuki Kajimoto

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(17), 8225; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11178225 - 04 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2352

Abstract

Many wearable interfaces have been proposed to present force to the upper limb and elbow joint. One way to achieve a compact wearable haptic interface is to use electrical stimulation, and we have suggested that transcutaneous electrical stimulation above the wrist tendon can [...] Read more.

Many wearable interfaces have been proposed to present force to the upper limb and elbow joint. One way to achieve a compact wearable haptic interface is to use electrical stimulation, and we have suggested that transcutaneous electrical stimulation above the wrist tendon can produce force a sensation in the direction of the muscle stretching; however, it has not been investigated in detail whether the force sensation presented by the electrical stimulation of the tendon occurs in the upper limb joints. In this study, to investigate whether the force sensation is generated when applying electrical stimulation of the skin at the tendon or at the muscle belly of the biceps brachii muscle, we quantitatively evaluated the direction and amount of the force sensation under the aforementioned conditions. The results showed that the electrical stimulation of the tendon produced significant force sensation in the direction of elbow extension. On the other hand, in some participants, the electrical stimulation of the muscle belly worked as a supporting force, resulting in the sensation of weakened force perception. In general, we concluded that the sensation produced by muscle stimulation was different from that produced by stimulation of the tendon. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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11 pages, 3104 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Individual Adjustment of Contraction Parameters for Effective Swing Assist Using a Pneumatic Artificial Muscle in the Elderly

by Haruki Toda, Tsubasa Maruyama, Yuichi Kurita and Mitsunori Tada

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(9), 4308; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094308 - 10 May 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1943

Abstract

Leg swing during walking is controlled by hip and knee flexion motions. This study examined the effect of swing assist using a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) driver system on hip and knee motions and gait performance in the elderly. The participants consisted of [...] Read more.

Leg swing during walking is controlled by hip and knee flexion motions. This study examined the effect of swing assist using a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) driver system on hip and knee motions and gait performance in the elderly. The participants consisted of 10 healthy elderly individuals. Two PAMs were attached to each participant’s left hip joint, and a pressure sensor was inserted under the right heel as the trigger. PAM contraction parameters could be controlled through a smartphone, i.e., the delay from trigger to contraction and the contraction duration. These parameters were randomly changed to 0, 100, or 200 ms for the delay and 100, 200, or 300 ms for the contraction. Four combination patterns of delay and contraction duration were observed as the parameter settings for maximizing the hip flexion angle. During walking with the PAM assistance, the hip and knee flexion angles in the swing phase and hip angular excursion of the elderly were significantly increased without altering the gait performance. The findings show that our PAM driver system can realize effective swing assist through changing temporal parameter settings for the PAM contraction in the elderly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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20 pages, 11440 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Novel Omnidirectional Treadmill-Based Locomotion Interface Device with Running Capability

by Sanghun Pyo, Hosu Lee and Jungwon Yoon

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(9), 4223; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11094223 - 06 May 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5712

Abstract

To achieve an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, omnidirectional treadmills (ODTs) allow users to perform locomotion in any direction. However, existing ODTs are heavy and complex, and operate at low speeds. This limits fast user motion and prevents natural interactions in real applications [...] Read more.

To achieve an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment, omnidirectional treadmills (ODTs) allow users to perform locomotion in any direction. However, existing ODTs are heavy and complex, and operate at low speeds. This limits fast user motion and prevents natural interactions in real applications such as military training programs and interactive games. In this paper, we introduce a novel locomotion interface device with running capability, which uses an omnidirectional treadmill with a new power transmission mechanism and a locomotion controller that enables the user to make fast movements. As a result of the improved power transmission performance due to the simple and relatively lightweight structure, the proposed two-dimensional treadmill can generate a maximum speed of 3 m/s, with an acceleration of 3 m/s². Moreover, through a pilot test with the proposed locomotion interface device, we verified that the fast directional changes during walking and running with the designed speed adaptation controller do not exceed the acceleration performance of the proposed system. Due to its wide range of movement speeds and acceleration capabilities, and lack of any motion constraints, the proposed locomotion interface device with a novel ODT can be used as a representative platform in various VR environments to enhance the immersive experience. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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14 pages, 8020 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Cross-Modal Effect of Presenting Visual and Force Feedback That Create the Illusion of Stair-Climbing

by Takumi Okumura and Yuichi Kurita

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(7), 2987; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072987 - 26 Mar 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2581

Abstract

Image therapy, which creates illusions with a mirror and a head mount display, assists movement relearning in stroke patients. Mirror therapy presents the movement of the unaffected limb in a mirror, creating the illusion of movement of the affected limb. As the visual [...] Read more.

Image therapy, which creates illusions with a mirror and a head mount display, assists movement relearning in stroke patients. Mirror therapy presents the movement of the unaffected limb in a mirror, creating the illusion of movement of the affected limb. As the visual information of images cannot create a fully immersive experience, we propose a cross-modal strategy that supplements the image with sensual information. By interacting with the stimuli received from multiple sensory organs, the brain complements missing senses, and the patient experiences a different sense of motion. Our system generates the sense of stair-climbing in a subject walking on a level floor. The force sensation is presented by a pneumatic gel muscle (PGM). Based on motion analysis in a human lower-limb model and the characteristics of the force exerted by the PGM, we set the appropriate air pressure of the PGM. The effectiveness of the proposed system was evaluated by surface electromyography and a questionnaire. The experimental results showed that by synchronizing the force sensation with visual information, we could match the motor and perceived sensations at the muscle-activity level, enhancing the sense of stair-climbing. The experimental results showed that the visual condition significantly improved the illusion intensity during stair-climbing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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15 pages, 6277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

HARVEST: High-Resolution Haptic Vest and Fingertip Sensing Glove That Transfers Tactile Sensation of Fingers to the Back

by Taha Moriyama and Hiroyuki Kajimoto

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(3), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11031298 - 01 Feb 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3147

Abstract

Human fingertips are densely populated with tactile receptors and are hence incredibly sensitive. However, wearing gloves on the fingers drastically reduces the tactile information available to the fingertips, such as the texture and shape of the object, and makes it difficult to perform [...] Read more.

Human fingertips are densely populated with tactile receptors and are hence incredibly sensitive. However, wearing gloves on the fingers drastically reduces the tactile information available to the fingertips, such as the texture and shape of the object, and makes it difficult to perform dexterous work. As a solution, in this study, we developed a high-resolution haptic vest that transfers the tactile sensation of the fingertips to the back. The haptic vest contains 80 voice-coil type vibrators which are located at each of the two discrimination thresholds on the back and can be driven independently. The tactile sensation of the fingertips is transferred to the back using the developed haptic vest in combination with a sensing glove that can detect the pressure distribution on the finger skin at up to 100 points. Different experiments were conducted to validate the performance of the proposed haptic vest and sensing gloves. The use of the haptic vest and the sensing glove enabled the user to perceive the shape of a planar object more accurately when compared to the case where the user wore only the glove. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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20 pages, 43563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Telelocomotion—Remotely Operated Legged Robots

by Kevin Huang, Divas Subedi, Rahul Mitra, Isabella Yung, Kirkland Boyd, Edwin Aldrich and Digesh Chitrakar

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010194 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3863

Abstract

Teleoperated systems enable human control of robotic proxies and are particularly amenable to inaccessible environments unsuitable for autonomy. Examples include emergency response, underwater manipulation, and robot assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, teleoperation architectures have been predominantly employed in manipulation tasks, and are thus [...] Read more.

Teleoperated systems enable human control of robotic proxies and are particularly amenable to inaccessible environments unsuitable for autonomy. Examples include emergency response, underwater manipulation, and robot assisted minimally invasive surgery. However, teleoperation architectures have been predominantly employed in manipulation tasks, and are thus only useful when the robot is within reach of the task. This work introduces the idea of extending teleoperation to enable online human remote control of legged robots, or telelocomotion, to traverse challenging terrain. Traversing unpredictable terrain remains a challenge for autonomous legged locomotion, as demonstrated by robots commonly falling in high-profile robotics contests. Telelocomotion can reduce the risk of mission failure by leveraging the high-level understanding of human operators to command in real-time the gaits of legged robots. In this work, a haptic telelocomotion interface was developed. Two within-user studies validate the proof-of-concept interface: (i) The first compared basic interfaces with the haptic interface for control of a simulated hexapedal robot in various levels of traversal complexity; (ii) the second presents a physical implementation and investigated the efficacy of the proposed haptic virtual fixtures. Results are promising to the use of haptic feedback for telelocomotion for complex traversal tasks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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Review

Jump to: Research

48 pages, 2378 KiB

Open AccessReview

Review of Advanced Medical Telerobots

by Sarmad Mehrdad, Fei Liu, Minh Tu Pham, Arnaud Lelevé and S. Farokh Atashzar

Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 209; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010209 - 28 Dec 2020

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 5847

Abstract

The advent of telerobotic systems has revolutionized various aspects of the industry and human life. This technology is designed to augment human sensorimotor capabilities to extend them beyond natural competence. Classic examples are space and underwater applications when distance and access are the [...] Read more.

The advent of telerobotic systems has revolutionized various aspects of the industry and human life. This technology is designed to augment human sensorimotor capabilities to extend them beyond natural competence. Classic examples are space and underwater applications when distance and access are the two major physical barriers to be combated with this technology. In modern examples, telerobotic systems have been used in several clinical applications, including teleoperated surgery and telerehabilitation. In this regard, there has been a significant amount of research and development due to the major benefits in terms of medical outcomes. Recently telerobotic systems are combined with advanced artificial intelligence modules to better share the agency with the operator and open new doors of medical automation. In this review paper, we have provided a comprehensive analysis of the literature considering various topologies of telerobotic systems in the medical domain while shedding light on different levels of autonomy for this technology, starting from direct control, going up to command-tracking autonomous telerobots. Existing challenges, including instrumentation, transparency, autonomy, stochastic communication delays, and stability, in addition to the current direction of research related to benefit in telemedicine and medical automation, and future vision of this technology, are discussed in this review paper. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Haptics for Tele-Communication and Tele-Training)

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