Haplug: A haptic plug for dynamic VR interactions

Abstract

We demonstrate applications of a new actuator, the Haplug, in dynamic virtual environments. The haplug is a linear voice coil motor packaged between springs in a plug-like casing. Response and bandwidth of the haplug are optimized for haptic interactions, and tuned by the motor inertia and spring stiffness. A pair of haplugs is mounted on the hand-tracking controllers of HTC Vive and renders a variety of haptic feedback, such as, feelings to colors, interactions with objects, surface texture and dynamic object behaviors. The Haptic Plug allows rich control of haptic effects in VR and other interactive settings.