2016 Volume 5 Issue 3 Pages 215-220
Mobile haptic devices are being studied extensively because they have great potential for use as information transfer devices. Amemiya et al. proposed a method for haptic feedback with a slider-crank mechanism that uses an asymmetrical drive. We have recently proposed a haptic device that uses a small two degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) oscillatory actuator. Using this actuator, we were able to reproduce the same asymmetric acceleration as the one achieved by Amemiya. However this waveform is dependent on the mechanical structure of the slider-crank mechanism and thus it is not necessary to use it for our actuator. In this paper, first, the relationship of the properties of the asymmetric acceleration to haptic perception is investigated by conducting experiments on volunteers. Next, by applying a genetic algorithm to the optimization method, an optimized asymmetric acceleration waveform is created. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by the power consumption of our actuator and the ratio of correct answers given by the volunteers.