Stretchable Transducers for Kinesthetic Interactions in Virtual Reality

Abstract

Commercial virtual reality devices such as the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive enable experience designers to emulate a number of human sensory inputs with computer simulations. Commercial experiences have demonstrated plausibly realistic audiovisual sensory input, but somatosensory feedback has been more limited in scope. Most successful attempts in providing feedback to the human Kinesthetic system were considered power-demanding, expensive and potentially harmful to users, therefore somatosensory input has largely been addressed by vibration-based devices, like Linear Resonant Actuators and Eccentric Rotating Mass actuators, aimed at stimulating receptors near the surface of the skin. This method is widely accepted as a proxy in lieu of resisting to muscle tension, but it is not considered a path to realistic input.