A 4-DoF Parallel Origami Haptic Device for Normal, Shear, and Torsion Feedback
This addresses the problem of expensive and complex manufacturing for small robotic haptic devices, offering a more compact solution for virtual reality and haptic feedback applications, though it appears incremental in its fabrication approach.
The researchers tackled the challenge of designing small haptic devices by creating a 4-degree-of-freedom finger-mounted device using origami fabrication, which can deliver normal, shear, and torsional feedback with an operational workspace of 0.64 cm³ and specific force/torque outputs up to 2N and 5N·mm.
We present a mesoscale finger-mounted 4-degree-of-freedom (DoF) haptic device that is created using origami fabrication techniques. The 4-DoF device is a parallel kinematic mechanism capable of delivering normal, shear, and torsional haptic feedback to the fingertip. Traditional methods of robot fabrication are not well suited for designing small robotic devices because it is challenging and expensive to manufacture small, low-friction joints. Our device uses origami manufacturing principles to reduce complexity and the device footprint. We characterize the bandwidth, workspace, and force output of the device. The capabilities of the torsion-DoF are demonstrated in a virtual reality scenario. Our results show that the device can deliver haptic feedback in 4-DoFs with an effective operational workspace of 0.64cm$^3$ with $\pm 30 ^ \circ$ rotation at every location. The maximum forces and torques the device can apply in the x-, y-, z-, and $θ$-directions, are $\pm$1.5N, $\pm$1.5N, 2N, and 5N$\cdot$mm, respectively, and the device has an operating bandwidth of 9Hz.