Transmission System Improvements in Actuating a Desktop Haptic Strip for Exploration of Virtual Objects
This paper describes the servo actuated transmission system required to drive a desktop haptic strip interface. The haptic strip is a mechatronic device which is used for exploration of virtual surfaces with aesthetic value. The simulation of tasks, such as the exploration of aesthetic real surfaces made by industrial designers in order to check the quality of prototypes, require full hand contact with the shape on a one-to-one scaled representation of the object. Our mechatronic device allows a continuous, free hand contact on a developable real plastic tape actuated by a servo-controlled mechanism in which is used the tessellation approach. In fact, the triangular mesh simplifies the conformation of the developable real surface as the virtual one. This paper discusses the design concept, novel kinematics and mechanics, improvements of the transmission system and control for the Desktop Strip.