Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L76112/01
Title:	DETERMINING APPROPRIATE HAPTIC CUES FOR VIRTUAL REALITY AND TELEOPERATION
Principal Investigator:	Harwin, Professor W
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Cybernetics
Organisation:	University of Reading
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 October 1997	Ends:	30 September 2000	Value (£):	52,707
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Human-Computer Interactions
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Providing human machine information exchange through both tactile and kinaesthetic channels is an unexplored area of research although this is the primary information pathway when a person makes physical contact with the environment. Mechanical synthesis of a tactile and kinaesthetic interaction is complex since the interface system must work on two scales, a large scale to replicate shape, contours and weight, and a smaller scale to replicate friction, thermal characteristics and surface texture. The problem is further compounded since the interface must appear to be passive yet must exchange energy with the operator. The work proposed will develop a test-bed haptic interface device that can operate at these two scales. The role of tactile and kinaesthetic information pathways in a person's interaction with a virtual environment will be assessed along with the concept of creating non-passive environments for haptic exploration. Validation of this research will be done with perception experiments and by demonstration environments. This work will further the EPSRC mission by providing strategic applied research that underpins industrial needs and will contribute to postgraduate training in engineering and the physical sciences. Intellectual property considerations will be arranged with possible beneficiaries, and results will be published in the scientific literature.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.rdg.ac.uk