Over the past two years, there has been a tremendous amount of focus on what we see in the VR world through products like the Oculus Rift, or how we move and interact with the Virtuix Omni treadmill or the upgraded Sixsense STEM System. But where is the feeling? The haptics? That nudge that tells you you aren't dreaming?
Today, MTBS is proud to bring you our interview with Dr. William Provancher, Founder of Tactical Haptics and Associate Professor at the University of Utah. William will talk about the benefits of haptics, big challenges that need to be overcome, and where things are headed with his new device!
[stimg='William Provancher, Tactical Haptics' url=http://www.mtbs3d.com/gallery/albums/us ... CF3898.jpg]http://www.mtbs3d.com/gallery/albums/us ... CF3898.jpg[/stimg]
MTBS: Welcome to MTBS! Before we talk about your latest invention, tell us about your work at the University of Utah. What do you teach, and what skills do students walk away with?
WP: For eight years, I've been teaching Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone Design, Electro-mechanical Design (Mechatronics), and Haptics (The study of touch sensing and feedback).
I've always been interested in creating and building new things and grew up in a house where my dad had a machine shop and wood shop in the basement. This guided my path through school and led me to work as a structures and mechanisms designer at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space for five years, as well as my current interests in creating novel haptic feedback devices.
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MTBS Interviews Tactical Haptics!
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Re: MTBS Interviews Tactical Haptics!
A few months ago I investigated the possibility of purchasing a force-feedback device for a firm that was doing some engineering using the SolidWorks CAD program. Specifically, I was hoping for the ability to feel how a complex mechanism would move by using the feedback device to grab one of the parts.
I quickly saw that the Falcon was the only affordable solution. But, I also quickly leaned that it only works with a few video games. There was no software to link the device to a CAD program. I think SolidWorks does the necessary internal calculations to potentially drive such a device, but I was told that is not just a simple driver to write. I still am not clear if SolidWorks actually exposes enough information to a potential haptic driver, but the bottom line is that the interface with the software is where the limitation is.
I made similar inquiry into the idea of using visual head trackers to control the point of view in SolidWorks, but met the same sort of problem. The hardware was affordable, but the programs that work with the hardware are totally missing.
I hope Tactical Haptics has what it takes to get over this barrier for its market.
-Joe Dunfee
I quickly saw that the Falcon was the only affordable solution. But, I also quickly leaned that it only works with a few video games. There was no software to link the device to a CAD program. I think SolidWorks does the necessary internal calculations to potentially drive such a device, but I was told that is not just a simple driver to write. I still am not clear if SolidWorks actually exposes enough information to a potential haptic driver, but the bottom line is that the interface with the software is where the limitation is.
I made similar inquiry into the idea of using visual head trackers to control the point of view in SolidWorks, but met the same sort of problem. The hardware was affordable, but the programs that work with the hardware are totally missing.
I hope Tactical Haptics has what it takes to get over this barrier for its market.
-Joe Dunfee