Realistic Haptics Interaction in Complex Virtual Environments

Abstract

Simulating interactive behavior of objects such as soft tissues in surgical simulation or in control engine of VR applications has been extensively studied. Adding haptic information such as vibration, tactile array, force feedback simulation enhances the sense of presence in virtual environments. Recreating the realistic contact forces the user would perceive when interacting the virtual objects is in general difficult. Current haptic technology only effectively simulates interactive forces for simple cases, but rather limited when considering complex virtual scenes. Desirable properties in realistic haptics interaction include: the stable and smooth reflection forces at a high refreshing rate around 1KHz, and the smooth exhibition of object deformations and physical-realistic behaviors. Physically based haptic deformations and simulation are mostly computationally intensive and not suitable for interactive virtual-scene applications. Even so, integrating non-physical methods with haptic feedbacks is not natural, and cannot provide realistic physical simulation of deformable objects. VR applications strive to simulate real or imaginary scenes with which users can interact and perceive the realistic effects of their action in real time.