How a Haptic Glove Makes You Feel Virtual Objects

This patent describes a haptic feedback glove that uses small vibrating pads and pressure points on the fingertips and palm to create realistic sensations of touch with virtual objects in computer simulations.

What it covers

The patent describes a haptic feedback glove designed to make virtual objects feel real. It includes a "fingertip assembly" (Claim 1) that can apply pressure to different parts of a user's finger, like the palm side, the left side (radial), the right side (ulnar), and even the very tip (distal). These pressures come from small devices called "tactors" (Claim 1). The glove also has a flexible "palm" section with multiple "palm tactors" (Claim 1) that can be controlled separately. For example, if you reach out in a virtual world and touch a cube, the glove could apply pressure to your fingertips and palm, and specific tactors could vibrate to simulate the texture of the cube. The system can also track the hand's position in 3D space (Claim 2) and even connect to a "force-feedback exoskeleton" (Claim 7) to make you feel resistance.

What it doesn't cover

• —Haptic gloves that only provide vibration feedback without applying pressure to multiple surfaces of the finger.
• —Gloves where the palm tactors cannot be controlled independently from each other.
• —Haptic systems that do not include both fingertip assemblies with multi-surface tactors and palm assemblies with independently actuatable tactors.
• —Gloves that only provide force feedback through an exoskeleton without integrated tactile feedback.
• —Systems that do not track the hand's position in three-dimensional space.

The clever bit

The patent's innovation lies in combining precise, multi-directional pressure feedback on individual fingertips with independently controllable tactile feedback across the palm. This allows for a much more nuanced and realistic sense of touch than simpler haptic devices.

Why it matters

This technology is crucial for making virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences more immersive. By allowing users to "feel" virtual objects, it enhances training simulations, remote work, and entertainment. Companies like HaptX, the assignee, are developing these gloves for professional applications, such as robot teleoperation and industrial design review.

Real-world examples

• 1.HaptX Gloves (various models)
• 2.High-fidelity VR training simulators
• 3.Teleoperation systems for robotics
• 4.Virtual prototyping and design review tools