SenseableRays

Abstract

This paper proposes a new haptic interaction system based on optical-haptic substitution. This system combines time-modulated structured light emitted to the workspace and a mobile or finger-mounted module consisting of a photo-detector with a tactile actuator. Unlike other tactile feedback systems, it does not require any complicated mechanism for position sensing and tactile actuation. Instead, it directly converts time-modulated structured light into haptic sensations. By sensing this light with a photo detector, users can feel this time-modulated light as haptic sensations. The system can easily add haptic feedback to a wide variety of applications, including surface computing systems and 3D interactive spaces.