Synchronized Oral Haptic Stimuli via Delay Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual food texture presentation technologies face a decline in realism due to unsynchronized haptic actuators for force, vibration, and temperature, resulting in out-of-sync stimulation and a deteriorated quality of experience.
Innovation Solution
A food texture presentation apparatus and method that utilize a selection unit to choose the most relevant haptic stimulus based on the food texture, with a controller synchronizing force, vibration, and temperature presentation units to ensure synchronized stimulation, using a DC motor for force, a vibration motor for vibration, and a Peltier element for temperature, within an oral cavity context.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple haptic actuators (DC motor for force, vibration motor for vibration, Peltier element for temperature) are used to present different haptic stimuli, then the variety and realism of food texture presentation is improved, but the synchronization between different actuators deteriorates due to different delay times
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-measures the delay time for each haptic actuator (DC motor, vibration motor, Peltier element) and stores these values in advance. Before presenting haptic stimuli, the controller uses these pre-measured delay times to calculate and set appropriate advance activation times for each actuator, ensuring they all respond simultaneously to the same stimulation command.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates a delay time measurement mechanism that monitors the actual response time of each haptic actuator. This feedback information is used to adjust and optimize the advance activation timing, creating a closed-loop control system that continuously improves synchronization accuracy based on actual performance data.
2Manufacturing precision
If advance activation timing is set for each haptic actuator to compensate for delay times, then synchronization is improved, but the complexity of control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs delay time measurements and creates timing correction profiles in advance, storing these parameters in memory. This preliminary characterization eliminates the need for complex real-time calculations during actual haptic presentation, as the controller simply retrieves pre-computed advance activation times from storage based on the selected haptic stimulus.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables a more realistic presentation of food texture by ensuring synchronized haptic stimuli, thereby enhancing the overall virtual food experience without impairing reality.
Implementation Method 1
a Peltier element is used for presenting the temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A food texture presentation apparatus of the present embodiment includes a force stimulation presentation unit, a vibration stimulation presentation unit, and a temperature stimulation presentation unit that present different kinds of haptic stimuli in the oral cavity, a selection unit that selects a haptic stimulus to be presented, according to the food texture, and a force stimulation controller, a vibration stimulation controller, and a temperature stimulation controller that control respectively the force stimulation presentation unit, the vibration stimulation presentation unit, and the temperature stimulation presentation unit that present the selected haptic stimulus.