Demonstration of ElaStick: A Variable Stiffness Display for Rendering Handheld Flexible Object

Abstract

We present ElaStick, a handheld variable stiffness controller capable of simulating the kinesthetic sensation of deformable and flexible objects when swung or shaken. ElaStick is capable of rendering gradual changes of stiffness along two independent axes over a wide continuous range. Two trackers on the controller enable a closed-loop feedback that allows to accurately map the device’s deformations to the visuals of a Virtual Reality application.