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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
09:41
Estimation of Contact Regions Between Hands and Objects During Human Multi-Digit Grasping
Published on: April 21, 2023
Encountered-Type 3D Haptic Shape Display by Simulating Finger-Object Contact Regions
Zemin Wang1,2, Zhanhong Tan1,2, Dongjie Zhao1,2
1State Key Lab of Virtual Reality Technology and Systems, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
Soft Robotics
|August 14, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel shape display for virtual reality, enabling users to feel 3D continuous shapes with their fingers. This new haptic feedback technology enhances virtual object interaction using a compact, actuator-driven system.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Robotics
- Haptics
Background:
- Existing pin-array shape displays are limited to discontinuous or 2.5D shapes.
- There is a need for advanced haptic feedback to render continuous 3D shapes in virtual reality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a novel shape display principle for rendering touch feedback between a virtual hand and objects.
- To enable users to perceive 3D continuous shapes through tactile interaction in virtual environments.
Main Methods:
- Developed a shape display with 20 actuators configured into four finger-like units.
- Designed fiber-reinforced origami soft actuators for finger-like bending and lateral swinging.
- Created a kinematic model and shape planning algorithm for finger-object interaction mapping.
Main Results:
- The shape display successfully rendered 3D continuous edge and surface-type shapes.
- Demonstrated the ability to render six categories of 11 virtual shapes.
- Validated the device's capacity for realistic tactile feedback in virtual object interaction.
Conclusions:
- The proposed shape display principle effectively renders 3D continuous shapes, enhancing virtual reality haptics.
- The system's design with a limited number of actuators offers a potential solution for complex haptic shape displays.
- Future integration with mobile platforms could further expand the application of this haptic technology.
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