A Low Cost 1-DoF Encounter Type Haptic Device for Use in Education

The use of haptic (or force-feedback) devices in education has the potential to improve learning efficiency in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computing (STEM+C). Low cost haptic devices have been presented in literature and are being used in many universities as part of their curricula. These devices provide hands-on experience to students for learning different physical and virtual phenomena. These devices feature small workspaces and low force outputs which can limit their use for educational applications. In this paper a prototype 1 DoF (degree of freedom) encounter type haptic device that possesses a larger workspace, higher force output and the ability to render free space, while keeping the cost low, is proposed. Haptic rendering is achieved using Series Elastic Actuation (SEA), while free space is rendered using a low friction mechanical coupling. Smooth transition between haptic and free space rendering is implemented using a switch based control law. The use of SEA, easy to manufacture 3D printed parts, low cost actuators, sensors and processor make the device affordable for educational institutions and students. In this paper design of the prototype device, its control scheme and experimental characterization of performance has been presented.