Thanks for this interesting article on haptics, but this
technology isn't nearly as advanced as I had reason to expect it
would be by now.
About 14 years ago, I was visiting MIT and had a fascinating
haptic experience. Margaret Minski, daughter of Marvin Minski,
was working on a training device for the space shuttle. It was a
universal joint that simulated the control for the hoisting arm
in the cargo bay of the space shuttle.
I moved the joystick in one direction and felt as if I was
rubbing the bottom of the stick over a grid. In the other
direction, I felt like the stick slid off of the grid and onto a
smooth surface. When she changed the program, moving my stick
felt like I was pushing against rubber bands.
I reported these sensations as I was experiencing them, and
Margaret Minski and another friend chuckled as they looked at a
computer screen off to my left. That computer screen graphically
displayed the same program that was controling the motors that
resisted the joystick that I was moving. If the screen would have
called up a diagram of a manual transmission, I would have
reported the haptic transformation of my joystick into the stick
shift of a car, or a truck, or possibly a control for a crane --
whatever they wanted me to feel.
I believe that this technology could be applied to a mouse.
Imagine rolling a mouse on a flat surface, but getting the
sensation that it is rolling over an edge, or over a new texture,
or nestling into a depression where you need to click. The
sensation would be virtual, created by resistance applied to the
movement of the mouse's ball, based on feedback about its
graphical positions on the screen.
In my following posting, I'll send an article about another
fascinating tactile experience that deserves our attention.
Peter Seymour
At 02:56 PM 11/26/04 -0500, Bud Kennedy wrote:
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>
>WSJ.com - New Technologies Bring Sense of Touch to Computers
>
>The Wall Street Journal
November 26, 2004
MEDIA & MARKETING
DOW JONES REPRINTS
www.djreprints.com.
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>
>New Technologies Bring
>Sense of Touch to Computers
>
>By KEN BROWN
>Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
>November 26, 2004; Page B1
>
>Computers can produce beautiful images and create magnificent
sounds,
>but simulating the sense of touch has been more difficult.
>
>The growing field of technology known as haptics is changing
that,
>slowly giving doctors new surgical tools, making videogames more
>realistic and helping
>drivers manipulate dials and knobs without taking their eyes off
the
>road.
>
>Haptics technology gives the illusion that "you are actually
interacting
>with something that's physical or real when it's really just a
>computer," says
>Dean Chang, chief technology officer at Immersion Corp., one of
the few
>public companies working with the technology.
>
>A group of science museums is showing off one form of the
technology.
>The system, dubbed the Internet Arm Wrestling Challenge, uses
aluminum
>arms and hands
>connected by a series of rods and gears to computer servers
linked to
>the Internet. Five museums, including the newly expanded New
York Hall
>of Science
>in Queens, which helped develop the technology, and the
Imaginarium in
>Anchorage, Alaska, have the same setups, allowing visitors to
test their
>strength
>against opponents several time zones away.
>
>[wrestle]
>Wendy Brez arm wrestles an opponent over the Internet with an
aluminum
>hand linked to a computer.
>
>The arm-wrestling device -- two tall blue boxes with stools in
front and
>fake arms outstretched -- sit in the new addition as part of an
>exhibition on networking.
>Visitors looking for a test of strength sit in front of a
touch-screen
>monitor and ask the computer to look for a potential opponent at
another
>museum.
>If one is available, his or her picture appears on the screen
via
>streaming Internet video, the two wrestlers grip the metal hands
and the
>computer starts
>the contest.
>
>If an adversary at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines, for
>instance, attacks quickly by pushing the metal arm forward, then
his
>opponent's arm is
>pushed back. If the other player counterattacks, he can return
to
>neutral. Participants can hear each other pant and watch as the
other
>grinds his teeth
>over the Internet, but what's lost is the sense of nose-to-nose
combat
>when an opponent is across the table.
>
>For safety reasons, the machine doesn't exactly mimic real
arm-wrestling
>matches, which are usually won with a sharp burst of power. "You
can't
>let it go
>wham because someone will break their arm on it," says Alan J.
Friedman,
>the museum's director.
>
>Engineers have been experimenting with haptics ever since
robotic arms
>were built to manipulate nuclear material during the Manhattan
Project
>in the 1940s.
>But the technology behind haptics, derived from the Greek word
meaning
>"to touch," has progressed slowly because it's a complicated
interaction
>of gears,
>motors, computer hardware and software combined to produce the
sense of
>touch.
>
>"You can display something visually without affecting it, but if
you
>want to display something through touch you have to interact
with it, so
>it makes it
>inherently more complex," says Allison Okamura, an assistant
professor
>of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins University who
oversees the
>haptics lab
>there.
>
>Powerful computers have helped push the field forward in recent
years,
>increasing the ability of machines to give the sensation of
weight or
>pressure. (Software
>tells a machine to simulate pressure or resistance.) Now similar
>technology is being used for small hand-held devices. Early next
year,
>Samsung Electronics
>Co. is planning to produce the first cellphone that vibrates in
tune
>with popular ring tones.
>
>Creating a sense of touch is crucial for many industries.
"People who
>design cars and clothing really care how it feels when you touch
it,"
>says Blake Hannaford,
>a professor of electrical engineering and a specialist in
haptics at the
>University of Washington in Seattle. Scientists dream of one day
>developing technology
>that lets Internet users "feel" a product, such as fabric,
through the
>computer.
>
>Ms. Okamura of Johns Hopkins and others are developing haptic
devices to
>allow surgeons to feel, instead of just see, what's going on
inside the
>patient
>when they use robots to help them with delicate operations.
Immersion
>sells a $10,000 training device that lets medical workers
practice
>inserting needles,
>allowing them to feel what happens when they pierce the skin and
enter a
>vein. Users hold a handle, shaped like a needle, just as they
would a
>real one,
>and they feel the pressure of the needle as it's pushed into the
skin.
>
>BMW AG is using another form of haptics technology in its 7
Series line
>of luxury cars. The driver can control the car's climate,
stereo,
>navigation and
>other systems using one knob. As the knob is turned, a
computer-driven
>motor produces a "feel," for each system. The radio produces a
feel of
>stations
>being clicked.
>
>The Internet arm wrestling device developers at the museum and
at Lynch
>Exhibits, a trade show display company, are seeking a patent and
hope to
>get the
>machines in dozens more museums. (They hope to sell it for
roughly
>$25,000 to museums or the general public.) For now they are
watching how
>visitors interact
>with it. "It really brings out the competitive instinct in
people," says
>Eric Siegel, the museum's director of planning and program
development
>and one
>of the machine's creators. "We had one very big trustee who was
very
>upset when he didn't win."
>
>The machine keeps a running tally of which museum has the most
arm
>wrestling winners. And executives are having fun envisioning
future
>contests. "The red
>states versus the blue states," Mr. Siegel suggests.
>
>Write to Ken Brown at
>[log in to unmask]
>1
>
>URL for this article:
>http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110142423054583770,00.html
>
>Hyperlinks in this Article:
>(1)
>mailto:[log in to unmask]
>
>Copyright 2004 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
>
>This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
Distribution
>and use of this material are governed by our
>Subscriber Agreement
>and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple
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>please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit
>www.djreprints.com.
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>
>
>
>
>------=_NextPart_000_0009_01C4D3C8.16912F30
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><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>WSJ.com - New Technologies
Bring Sense =
>of Touch to=20
>Computers</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Wall Street=20
>Journal<BR>adimg/xerox_125x68</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>November 26, 2004</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>MEDIA &
MARKETING</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>DOW JONES REPRINTS<BR>This copy
is for =
>your=20
>personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready
copies =
>for=20
>distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers,
use<BR>the Order =
>Reprints=20
>tool at the bottom of any article or visit:<BR><A=20
>href=3D"http://www.djreprints.com">www.djreprints.com</A>.<BR>See a =
>sample reprint=20
>in PDF format.<BR>Order a reprint of this article
now.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>New Technologies Bring<BR>Sense
of =
>Touch to=20
>Computers</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>By KEN BROWN<BR>Staff Reporter
of THE =
>WALL STREET=20
>JOURNAL<BR>November 26, 2004; Page B1</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Computers can produce beautiful
images =
>and create=20
>magnificent sounds, but simulating the sense of touch has been
more=20
>difficult.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The growing field of technology
known =
>as haptics is=20
>changing that, slowly giving doctors new surgical tools, making
=
>videogames more=20
>realistic and helping<BR>drivers manipulate dials and knobs
without =
>taking their=20
>eyes off the road.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Haptics technology gives the
illusion =
>that "you are=20
>actually interacting with something that's physical or real when
it's =
>really=20
>just a computer," says<BR>Dean Chang, chief technology officer
at =
>Immersion=20
>Corp., one of the few public companies working with the =
>technology.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>A group of science museums is
showing =
>off one form=20
>of the technology. The system, dubbed the Internet Arm Wrestling
=
>Challenge, uses=20
>aluminum arms and hands<BR>connected by a series of rods and
gears to =
>computer=20
>servers linked to the Internet. Five museums, including the
newly =
>expanded New=20
>York Hall of Science<BR>in Queens, which helped develop the
technology, =
>and the=20
>Imaginarium in Anchorage, Alaska, have the same setups, allowing
=
>visitors to=20
>test their strength<BR>against opponents several time zones =
>away.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>[wrestle]<BR>Wendy Brez arm
wrestles an =
>opponent=20
>over the Internet with an aluminum hand linked to a =
>computer.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The arm-wrestling device -- two
tall =
>blue boxes=20
>with stools in front and fake arms outstretched -- sit in the
new =
>addition as=20
>part of an exhibition on networking.<BR>Visitors looking for a
test of =
>strength=20
>sit in front of a touch-screen monitor and ask the computer to
look for =
>a=20
>potential opponent at another museum.<BR>If one is available,
his or her =
>picture=20
>appears on the screen via streaming Internet video, the two
wrestlers =
>grip the=20
>metal hands and the computer starts<BR>the contest.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>If an adversary at the Science
Center =
>of Iowa in=20
>Des Moines, for instance, attacks quickly by pushing the metal
arm =
>forward, then=20
>his opponent's arm is<BR>pushed back. If the other player =
>counterattacks, he can=20
>return to neutral. Participants can hear each other pant and
watch as =
>the other=20
>grinds his teeth<BR>over the Internet, but what's lost is the
sense of=20
>nose-to-nose combat when an opponent is across the
table.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>For safety reasons, the machine
doesn't =
>exactly=20
>mimic real arm-wrestling matches, which are usually won with a
sharp =
>burst of=20
>power. "You can't let it go<BR>wham because someone will break
their arm =
>on it,"=20
>says Alan J. Friedman, the museum's director.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Engineers have been
experimenting with =
>haptics ever=20
>since robotic arms were built to manipulate nuclear material
during the=20
>Manhattan Project in the 1940s.<BR>But the technology behind
haptics, =
>derived=20
>from the Greek word meaning "to touch," has progressed slowly
because =
>it's a=20
>complicated interaction of gears,<BR>motors, computer hardware
and =
>software=20
>combined to produce the sense of touch.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>"You can display something
visually =
>without=20
>affecting it, but if you want to display something through touch
you =
>have to=20
>interact with it, so it makes it<BR>inherently more complex,"
says =
>Allison=20
>Okamura, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at
Johns =
>Hopkins=20
>University who oversees the haptics lab<BR>there.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Powerful computers have helped
push the =
>field=20
>forward in recent years, increasing the ability of machines to
give the=20
>sensation of weight or pressure. (Software<BR>tells a machine to
=
>simulate=20
>pressure or resistance.) Now similar technology is being used
for small=20
>hand-held devices. Early next year, Samsung Electronics<BR>Co.
is =
>planning to=20
>produce the first cellphone that vibrates in tune with popular
ring=20
>tones.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Creating a sense of touch is
crucial =
>for many=20
>industries. "People who design cars and clothing really care how
it =
>feels when=20
>you touch it," says Blake Hannaford,<BR>a professor of
electrical =
>engineering=20
>and a specialist in haptics at the University of Washington in
Seattle.=20
>Scientists dream of one day developing technology<BR>that lets
Internet =
>users=20
>"feel" a product, such as fabric, through the
computer.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Ms. Okamura of Johns Hopkins
and others =
>are=20
>developing haptic devices to allow surgeons to feel, instead of
just =
>see, what's=20
>going on inside the patient<BR>when they use robots to help them
with =
>delicate=20
>operations. Immersion sells a $10,000 training device that lets
medical =
>workers=20
>practice inserting needles,<BR>allowing them to feel what
happens when =
>they=20
>pierce the skin and enter a vein. Users hold a handle, shaped
like a =
>needle,=20
>just as they would a real one,<BR>and they feel the pressure of
the =
>needle as=20
>it's pushed into the skin.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>BMW AG is using another form of
haptics =
>technology=20
>in its 7 Series line of luxury cars. The driver can control the
car's =
>climate,=20
>stereo, navigation and<BR>other systems using one knob. As the
knob is =
>turned, a=20
>computer-driven motor produces a "feel," for each system. The
radio =
>produces a=20
>feel of stations<BR>being clicked.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The Internet arm wrestling
device =
>developers at the=20
>museum and at Lynch Exhibits, a trade show display company, are
seeking =
>a patent=20
>and hope to get the<BR>machines in dozens more museums. (They
hope to =
>sell it=20
>for roughly $25,000 to museums or the general public.) For now
they are =
>watching=20
>how visitors interact<BR>with it. "It really brings out the
competitive =
>instinct=20
>in people," says Eric Siegel, the museum's director of planning
and =
>program=20
>development and one<BR>of the machine's creators. "We had one
very big =
>trustee=20
>who was very upset when he didn't win."</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>The machine keeps a running
tally of =
>which museum=20
>has the most arm wrestling winners. And executives are having
fun =
>envisioning=20
>future contests. "The red<BR>states versus the blue states," Mr.
Siegel=20
>suggests.</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Write to Ken Brown at<BR><A=20
>href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A><BR>1</FONT></DIV>=
>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>URL for this article:<BR><A=20
>href=3D"http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110142423054583770,00.html">ht=
>tp://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110142423054583770,00.html</A></FONT></D=
>IV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hyperlinks in this =
>Article:<BR>(1)<BR><A=20
>href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">mailto:[log in to unmask]</A></FONT></DI=
>V>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Copyright 2004 Dow Jones &
Company, =
>Inc. All=20
>Rights Reserved</FONT></DIV>
><DIV> </DIV>
><DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>This copy is for your personal,
=
>non-commercial use=20
>only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by =
>our<BR>Subscriber=20
>Agreement<BR>and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to
order =
>multiple=20
>copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or =
>visit<BR><A=20
>href=3D"http://www.djreprints.com">www.djreprints.com</A>.<BR></FONT></DI
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