HaptoClone (Haptic-Optical Clone)

Abstract

In this research, we propose a new interactive system that can display haptic and optical clone image in mid-air. We named our system "HaptoClone". Fig. 1 (a) shows how our system works. Our system provides following new experiences. 1) The people facing our system are optically copied to the other side without any time delay by using the Aerial Imaging Plates. 2) A user can see both their own hand and the other's cloned body in the same coordinate. The position and the timing of the clone image is perfectly synchronized to original motion. 3) Tactile feedback can be given when they virtually touch each other. The tactile feedback is given in mid-air by using a phase-controlled ultrasound array. Our system enables users to communicate with each other through haptics in real time with optical clone image.