HAMA device - Haptic display for Immersive Virtual Environments

This paper introduces haptic interface actuated with magnetorheological fluid and artificial muscle (HAMA) device, a portable haptic device that is designed for using in immersive virtual environments. User can feel force-feed back and tactile sense simultaneously with this device. Existing haptic devices are very big system, so they are difficult to put on. And some of them have to be set device on the ground. It is very annoying to use if a user have to set a big box on the ground. It may interrupt user's range of view and difficult to move in immersive virtual environment. So it is very important that haptic display for immersive virtual environment is portable and doesn't need assist device to actuate. We propose haptic device that uses two materials in order to meet requirements. In this paper we propose haptic device using magnetorheological fluid and artificial muscle. Each material is used for giving tactile sense and force-feedback. In this paper we developed force-feedback display and tactile display, and evaluated usefulness of them.