Software components for haptic constraints

Matthew A. Hutchins

doi:10.1117/12.384470

3 May 2000 Software components for haptic constraints

Matthew A. Hutchins

Proceedings Volume 3957, Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems VII; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.384470
Event: Electronic Imaging, 2000, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

This paper discusses the software engineering of a class library for supporting haptic rendering of interaction constraints within a hand-immersive virtual environment. The design of interaction and navigation paradigms is a significant issue in the usability of virtual environments. The careful application of constraints in the interaction can help the user focus on their specific task. Interaction constraints can be usefully implemented using a haptic, or force-feedback, device. Haptic programming is difficult, so we are designing and implementing a class library to provide reusable components for programming haptic constraints. The library extends the Magma multi-sensory scenegraph API, providing a constrained proxy to serve as a new interaction point for the application, and an abstract constraint definition that can be realized by a variety of constraint types. The paper illustrates the constraint definition by describing a number of geometric constraints, and also describes techniques for combining and modifying constraints to create new ones. These techniques are used to construct constraints tailored to specific application requirements. The haptic constraints library is still a work in progress, and we have identified a number of areas where improvements can be made. One of the major challenges is to provide software components that can be reused to support a broad selection of different approaches to programming interaction in a haptically enabled virtual environment.

Citation Download Citation

Matthew A. Hutchins "Software components for haptic constraints", Proc. SPIE 3957, Stereoscopic Displays and Virtual Reality Systems VII, (3 May 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.384470

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