Interactive Simulations

Local Control Processor:

Simple, static environments can be modelled on the local controller with the graphics workstation used for display only.

A moving cube inside a fixed cube is simulated
Corner, edge and face contacts are felt by the user as ithe inner cube is manipulated

Box-in-Box Simulation

Friction and texture effects can be displayed with the high control bandwidths and position sensitivity of the device
Each quadrant of the simulated surface has different texture and friction characteristics

Surface Texture Simulation

For more complex simulations the haptic device can be coupled to an independently executing simulation on a different computer:

Schematic of Haptic Interaction System

The setpoints of the simulation tool and the haptic device handle are coupled together by virtual stiffness and damping gains:

Virtual Coupling of Simulation and Device

The simulation computer and the device controller exchange position states over and Ethernet network.

Peg-in-Hole

Key in Lock with Bolt

Multiple dynamic objects in simulation

The simulation models physical dynamics, performs collision detection, and evaluates motion constraints at a 100 Hz update rate
The user can strike, push, pick up, throw & catch simulated objects in environment and feels the computed dynamic response of the virtual tool
Variable scaling, offsets and rate mode options are available for the user to move the virtual tool across arbitrarily large distances and rotations in the simulated environment