Gaze-Driven Haptic Object Manipulation System
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Interacting with computing devices, especially through haptic interfaces, can be challenging due to the need to switch gaze between display and haptic output devices, which may reduce user efficiency and convenience.
Innovation Solution
A system that integrates a computing device with a haptic interactive device, allowing users to interact with virtual objects using gaze tracking and haptic feedback, enabling manipulation of image objects on a display without needing to switch gaze, by generating haptic objects based on user interaction data and updating the corresponding image objects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users interact with computing devices through traditional user interfaces (keyboard, mouse, touchscreen), then user interaction functionality is provided, but user efficiency decreases when switching gaze between display and interaction devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device to capture images of physical objects, which are then processed to generate haptic representations. This mediator bridges the gap between the physical world and the digital display, allowing users to interact with haptic objects that represent real-world items without needing to physically handle them or switch between multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical interaction devices (keyboard, mouse, touchscreen) with a gaze-based selection system combined with haptic feedback. Instead of requiring physical movement of hands or switching gaze to locate interaction elements, users can select and manipulate objects through gaze tracking, with haptic actuators providing tactile confirmation and feedback in place of mechanical resistance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If haptic devices are integrated into output devices to provide tactile feedback, then haptic feedback capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the haptic feedback system into separate modular components: haptic actuators that can be independently controlled and positioned at different locations on the display surface. Each actuator can be individually addressed and controlled to provide localized tactile feedback, allowing the system to build up complex haptic experiences from simple, standardized components rather than requiring a monolithic complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal haptic feedback framework that can work with various types of display devices and interaction scenarios. The haptic object generation system can represent different types of physical objects (rigid, flexible, textured) using the same basic infrastructure of actuators and image processing, making the system adaptable to multiple applications without requiring separate specialized systems for each use case.
3Measurement precision
If haptic objects are generated based on image data, then tactile representation accuracy is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively processing only the relevant features of the captured image data that are necessary for haptic representation. Rather than attempting to convert all image information into haptic properties, the system focuses on extracting key characteristics (shape, texture, rigidity) and representing them through appropriate haptic actuator patterns, achieving sufficient accuracy without the computational overhead of complete image-to-haptic transformation.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies for interacting with computing devices using haptic manipulation includes tracking a user's gaze on an image displayed on a display of a computing device and identifying an image object of the image based on the user's gaze. The computing device generate haptic object data for the identified image object and transmits the haptic object data to a haptic interactive device. The haptic interactive device generates a haptic object on a haptic output surface base on the haptic object data. The haptic interactive device may also monitor the user's interaction with the haptic object and generate user interactive data based on such interaction. The user interaction data may be provided to the computing device, and the computing device may modify the image based on the user interaction data.