Bimanual spatial haptic interface for assembly tasks

We have created a novel virtual assembly tool that uses two haptic devices for bimanual manipulation. The project is focused on the manipulation of fractured jaw bones for patient-specific surgical planning, but can be extended to any assembly task of organic shaped objects (Figure 1). Spatial input devices that support virtual object manipulation through direct mapping are easier and more natural to use for tasks that are fundamentally in 3D, like assembly tasks. Employing both hands further provides a frame of reference which improves spatial understanding of the manipulated objects [2]. Few studies have been carried out on the importance of haptic feedback for bimanual interactions, but it has been showed meaningful even for unimanual tasks [4]. We are showing a demo of our work in progress to bring high-fidelity haptic rendering to bimanually operated spatial interfaces. As bimanual direct manipulation interaction improves performance even without collision response, we hypothesize that haptic feedback improves it further.