Development of a 1-DOF wearable force feedback device with soft actuators and comparative evaluation of the actual objects and virtual objects in the AR space

A desktop force feedback device is able to render reaction force of virtual objects. However, the desktop type limits operator's motion. In contrast, a wearable force feedback device allows us to interact with virtual objects while moving in virtual space. In this study, we have developed a 1-DOF wearable force feedback device with MR brake and pneumatic artificial muscles. These actuators are lightweight, have a high power density, and are controlled by feed-forward control. This device is equipped with the operator's arm and renders various forces, such as friction, elasticity, and viscosity. In this paper, we improve the device to solve existing problems from previous studies. The proposed device is tested to confirm its basic properties. It is applied to augmented reality space and comparisons of subjective evaluations between virtual objects and actual objects