Abstract
An encountered-type visual haptic display using flexible sheet is proposed ; it allows users to feel like seeing and touching virtual soft objects directly. Both edges of transparent flexible sheet is attached to two manipulators. They apply bias tension to the sheet by pulling it from both sides, thus varying the sheet compliance. A user can feel the compliance of a virtual soft object by pushing the sheet with his finger directly. The manipulators also control the pose of the sheet along the object's surface together with the finger tip motion. Hence the shape of the object can be presented by active touch. A control method of presenting arbitrary shape of virtual objects generated by FEM is proposed. A virtual soft object which has smooth uneven surface is modeled by FEM, and the developed display presents the compliance and shape of this object. Then the display is evaluated by subjective experiments.
