Fourigami: A 4-Degree-of-Freedom, Force-Controlled, Origami, Finger Pad Haptic Device

Abstract

Skin deformation haptic devices worn on the finger pad provide realistic touch feedback during interactions with virtual objects. Two primary challenges in creating such devices are: first, making a multidegree-of-freedom device (DoF) that is small and lightweight so it does not encumber the wearer and second, providing accurate control of forces displayed to the finger pad. This work presents a 4-DoF finger pad haptic device, called Fourigami, that addresses these challenges. We address the first challenge using origami manufacturing methods and pneumatic actuation to fabricate a 25 g prototype that displays normal, shear, and twist and can be easily worn on the finger pad. We address the second challenge using a low-profile, 6-DoF, force/torque sensor to control forces displayed to the finger. Fourigami has a bandwidth ranging from 2 to 4 Hz depending on direction, and when acting on a human finger, it exerts forces ranging from $\pm$ 1.0 N in shear, 4.2 N in normal, and $\pm$ 4.2 N $\cdot$ mm of twist. Finally, we demonstrate the device’s efficacy when rendering haptic feedback to a user tracking a sinusoidal trajectory and a trajectory representing interactions with a virtual object.