129 results about "Tactile Perceptions" patented technology

The method for simultaneously and concurrently identifying and quantifying a wide variety of types of facial electromyographic (EMG) and eye movement electrooculargraphic (EOG) activity, which naturally contaminate electroencephalographic (EEG) waveforms in order to significantly improve the accuracy of the calculation in real-time of the amplitude and / or coherence of any brainwave activity for any chosen frequency bandwidth for any number of electrode placements. This multi-level, widely or universally applicable, pre-defined pattern recognition artifact detection and correction system provides a method for enhancing EEG biofeedback training by detecting and eliminating any brief, contaminated epoch of EEG activity from being included in the calculation and analysis of the EEG signal. The method and apparatus disclosed herein make it possible to provide without any interruption visual, auditory and / or tactile feedback of a “true” EEG signal that through operant conditioning learning principles enables individuals to more quickly and easily learn to control their brainwave activity using neurofeedback.

Behavioral and mental health therapy systems in accordance with several embodiments of the invention include a wearable camera and / or a variety of sensors (accelerometer, microphone, among various other) connected to a computing system including a display, audio output, holographic output, and / or vibrotactile output to automatically recognize social cues from images captured by at least one camera and provide this information to the wearer via one or more outputs such as (but not limited to) displaying an image, displaying a holographic overlay, generating an audible signal, and / or generating a vibration.

Featured are surgical devices that provide enhanced perceptual feedback to a medical practitioner in the form of e.g. tactile sensations or auditory feedback, and methods of use of the devices. The devices and methods of the present invention are particularly suitable for microsurgery applications including ophthalmic or neurosurgical procedures. Use of the present devices and methods will enhance user feedback, allowing for improved perception, thereby increasing performance, speed, and accuracy of surgical procedures.

To maintain consistency in different environments with different impedances, a high voltage current driver may be used as a signal generator to output a tactile signal with a constant current. The constant current ensures that the voltage between the user's finger and the object's surface or electrode remains the same even if impedances in the electrical path change. Specifically, the current driver includes a current sensing circuit that determines the average current being generated. Using a feedback loop, the measured current is compared to a reference current to determine if the correct tactile sensation is perceived by the user. As the impedance changes, the current driver detects the resulting change in the signal's current and adjusts the voltage amplitude of the generated tactile signal in order to match the measured current to the reference current.

To maintain consistency in different environments with different impedances, a high voltage current driver may be used as a signal generator to output a tactile signal with a constant current. The constant current ensures that the voltage between the user's finger and the object's surface or electrode remains the same even if impedances in the electrical path change. Specifically, the current driver includes a current sensing circuit that determines the average current being generated. Using a feedback loop, the measured current is compared to a reference current to determine if the correct tactile sensation is perceived by the user. As the impedance changes, the current driver detects the resulting change in the signal's current and adjusts the voltage amplitude of the generated tactile signal in order to match the measured current to the reference current.

A system providing various improved perceptions techniques for haptic feedback above interactive surfaces that require no contact with either tools, attachments or the surface itself is described. A range of receptors in a perceiving member which is part of the human body is identified to create substantially uniformly perceivable feedback. A vibration frequency that is in the range of the receptors in the perceiving member is chosen and dynamically altered to create substantially uniformly perceivable feedback throughout the receiving member.

The invention relates to a flexible film tactile sensor which is formed by an electroactive polymer film matrix, a carbon nanotube composite film electrode layer, an electrode lead, and a polyimide film protection layer. The carbon nanotube composite film is a multi-layer network-shaped film composed of a carbon nanotube and polymer electrolyte; an electrostatic induction self-assembly method is used to make a pair of compliant electrode layers on upper and lower surfaces of the electroactive polymer film matrix; a peripheral electrode anchor zone through a metal electrode lead is integrated with a charge amplifier as a whole to from a tactile sensor; and a microprocessor or a computer is used to realize signal acquisition, storage, display and processing. The flexible film tactile sensor can be closely adhered to the surface of the measured object so as to measure the tactile perception performance of the object, can be cut into any shape, and has the characteristics of being reliable, flexible, rapid in response, and the like.

A system, method and computer program product that provides tactile feedback to assist a visually impaired person in navigation and avoid collisions with obstacles (objects). The system comprises a pressure based tactile response device and a remote control device. The pressure based tactile response device comprises of a pressure pad which includes a plurality of pressure modules that provide a haptic response to the visually impaired person. With a feedback mechanism the pressure based tactile response device provides navigational information to the impaired person and ensures that collisions with obstacles are avoided. The remote control device comprises a plurality of sensors which enable the impaired person to locate the pressure based tactile response device when it is not in his possession.

Apparatus and method for making and using devices that generate optical signals, and optionally also electrical signals in combination with one or more such optical signals, to stimulate (i.e., trigger) and / or simulate a sensory-nerve signal in nerve and / or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human), for example to treat nerve damage in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) or the central nervous system (CNS) and provide sensations to stimulate and / or simulate “sensory” signals in nerves and / or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human) to treat other sensory deficiencies (e.g., touch, feel, balance, visual, taste, or olfactory) and provide sensations related to those sensory deficiencies, and / or to stimulate (i.e., trigger) and / or simulate a motor-nerve signal in nerve and / or brain tissue of a living animal (e.g., a human), for example to control a muscle or a robotic prosthesis.

A system providing various improved perceptions techniques for haptic feedback above interactive surfaces that require no contact with either tools, attachments or the surface itself is described. A range of receptors in a perceiving member which is part of the human body is identified to create substantially uniformly perceivable feedback. A vibration frequency that is in the range of the receptors in the perceiving member is chosen and dynamically altered to create substantially uniformly perceivable feedback throughout the receiving member.

Methods and systems for textures and other spatial sensations for a relative haptic interface device are described. One embodiment includes a method comprising the steps of receiving a signal from a sensor, the sensor signal associated with a change in a position of a haptic feedback device, transmitting sensor data to a host processor, the sensor data associated with the sensor signal, receiving force information from the host processor, the force information comprising a texture sensation having at least one parameter describing at least one force to be output based at least in part on an interaction of a graphical object with a texture field, the force information further comprising at least one characteristic of the texture sensation, parsing the force information, storing the at least one characteristic, and determining when to output the at least one force based at least in part on the interaction.

This embodiment of the invention consists of an apparatus or home appliance unit embodied in a hardware entity running an embedded software program connected to a server computer via a phone line or high-speed internet. At home, the apparatus communicates with an optional set of medical health monitoring devices such as but not limited to, blood pressure monitors, blood glucose meters, and pulse oximeters using wired or wireless communications methods in order to perform wellness measurement. The illustrated embodiments of the invention provide a novel user interface on the home appliance to make the system accessible to people with disabilities. The simple user interface is designed to be accessible to people who are blind or deaf or people who cannot use their hands and require an alternative interface device such as a sip & puff controller. For the hearing impaired, the interface duplicates all speech and informational sounds with text or graphic cues. For the Blind, a Rotary knob provides tactile and audio feedback as the user navigates the system options. As every clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the knob brings a new option into focus, the user feels the click of the knob, and hears several audio cues including an audible click, a unique musical chime and a spoken description of the selectable option. For people who cannot use their hands to rotate the knob, alternative input controller devices, (such as a sip & puff controller) are supported through wired (such as but not limited to USB) or wireless (such as but not limited to Bluetooth, Zigbee IEEE 802.15.4, Z-Wave, Wi-Fi) connections. The home unit can further monitor wellness activity of the care recipient by pegging the number of times the care recipient passes by a infra-red motion sensor. The filtering of the latter information and subsequent integration over time and comparison with historical counts per unit of time within a 24 hour period can determine the normal activity pattern for the care recipient over the previous 24 hours.

Methods and apparatus are provided for a tactile feedback system. The system comprises a transmission indicator having a position, the position adapted to be adjusted by a user, a feedback device coupled to the transmission indicator, the feedback device adapted to produce a vibration in response to a feedback signal, and a control system adapted to detect the position of the transmission indicator and to transmit a feedback signal to the feedback device.

A glove that can be used as a conventional glove, or, alternatively, if the glove is to be used for special purposes, can be modified to include shaped articles comprising yieldably deformable, shaped-inserts of different configuration constructed from foamed cushion material having a memory. These shaped articles can be selectively inserted into strategically located, internal pockets formed internally and externally of the glove. When the shaped-inserts are in position within the pockets of the glove, they provide protection to the hand, provide superior tactile perception and also tend to substantially replicate the surface features exhibited by the device being gripped by the user.

A device comprised of a plurality of evenly spaced tactile actuators arranged in the form of a generally C-shaped structure and worn snug around the neck by a subject to apply tactile stimuli to the subject's neck skin. An electronic controller operated by a computer program controls the actuators of the device based on signals received from an external source. The device impresses sequences of tactile stimuli around the subject's neck to provide intelligible information, cues and warnings or certain game-related sensations.

Systems and methods for perceptual normalization of haptic effects are disclosed. One system 100 may include a first sensor 108 configured to detect a user interaction with a touch surface 116 and transmit a first sensor signal associated with the user interaction; a second sensor 110, 130 configured to detect a feature associated with the touch surface and transmit a second sensor signal associated with the feature; a processor 102 in communication with the first sensor and the second sensor, the processor configured to: determine a first haptic effect based on the user interaction; determine a modified haptic effect based in part first haptic effect and on the feature; output a haptic signal associated with the modified haptic effect; and a haptic output device 118 in communication with the processor and coupled to the touch surface, the haptic output device configured to receive the haptic signal and output the modified haptic effect to the touch surface.

An acoustic field may be produced from a transducer array having known relative positions and orientations In this acoustic field, one or more control points may be defined. An amplitude may be assigned to the control point. Mid-air haptic effect for a virtual object on a human body part may be generated by moving the control point in a single closed curve comprising a plurality of curve segments. The single closed curve traverses at least one location where the human body part intersects with the virtual object. Additionally, a user may interact with virtual three-dimensional content using the user's hands while a tracking system monitoring the user's hands, a physics engine updates the properties of the virtual three-dimensional content and a haptic feedback system provides haptic information to the user.

The purpose is to provide a tactile information conversion device, a tactile information conversion method, and a tactile information conversion program, which are usable for general purposes by presenting or sensing an arbitrary tactile feeling. In order to provide tactile information to an output unit capable of outputting physical quantities including electricity, force, temperature, vibration, and / or time and space, at least two or more of the physical quantities are selected according to a tactile feeling to be presented, tactile information for presenting the predetermined tactile feeling is generated based on the physical quantities that have been selected, and the tactile information that has been generated is output to the output unit.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for creating a tactile sensation through non-invasive brain stimulation by using ultrasonic waves. The apparatus includes: an ultrasonic transducer module for inputting the ultrasonic waves to stimulate a specific part of the brain of a specified user non-invasively through at least one ultrasonic transducer unit; a compensating module for acquiring information on a range of tactile perception areas in the brain of the specified user and compensating properties of ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to the acquired information thereon; and an ultrasonic waves generating module for generating ultrasonic waves to be inputted to the specified user through the ultrasonic transducer unit by referring to a compensating value decided by the compensating module.

The invention relates to a three-dimensional tactile force detection method based on micro-vision, and belongs to the technical field of intellisense of robot dexterous hand executing tail ends. The three-dimensional force detection technology method for verification is designed on the basis of an independently-designed tactile sensor, a good effect is achieved in the gripping process, and the method belongs to the technical field of robot perception. When the sensor directly makes contact with an object, an elastomer can be subjected to force to generate deformation, marking points can correspondingly generate displacement, and image information generated before and after the marking points generate displacement is captured by an image collecting camera. Deviation information of the marking points is calculated through comparison of the image information generated before and after the force is applied, and then a regressed three-dimensional force prediction vector is obtained through neural network training and predicting. According to the three-dimensional tactile force detection method based on micro-vision, three-dimensional force tactile sense information, three-dimensional force slip sense information and the like in the dexterous hand gripping process can be detected, and the method can be applied to the field of tactile perception of robot dexterous hands.

The apparatus and methods of the present invention provide quiet, compact, robust hardware that can accurately produce a wide range of tactile frequencies at a perceptually constant intensity. For greater expressiveness, some apparatus for moving the skin in multiple axes are also disclosed. Signal processing methods are presented to enhance the user's experience of audio spatialization. The methods transform audio signals into directional tactile cues matched to the time resolution of the skin, and which exploit directional tactile illusions.

A 3 degree of freedom (3DOF) tactile feedback apparatus and method are provided. The 3DOF tactile feedback apparatus may include a movable unit that may move in at least one direction to be in contact with human skin, and an actuator to move the movable unit based on an input signal.

The invention provides a gait rectification system based on wearable sensing and tactile feedback. The system comprises a sensing feedback device and a data processing device, wherein the sensing feedback device is in wireless connection with the data processing device; the sensing feedback device is used for adhesion to each body position of a user, sending acquired sensor information to the data processing device and executing a feedback instruction of the data processing device; and the data processing device calculates human body gait parameters according to the sensor information, compares the human body gait parameters with ideal gait parameters to calculate feedback parameters and accordingly sends the feedback instruction generated according to the feedback parameters to the sensing feedback device for rectifying the gait of the user. According to the invention, the system employs a wearable design, can be installed at each position of a human body according to needs, measures the inertia sensor information of each position of the human body, accurately measures present gaits in real time for feedbacks and is not restricted to application environment.

The present invention relates to a method and system for haptic interaction in augmented reality that can effectively remove noise from real images captured by an image capturing device and minimize discontinuity of force generated in the haptic interaction for the stable and smooth haptic interaction in the augmented reality. The augmented reality system comprising: a marker detecting unit that detects a markers in images; a marker position extracting unit that extracts the positions of the detected markers; a noise removing unit that removes noise from positional information of the markers; a visual rendering unit that augments virtual objects; a motion estimating unit that estimates the motion of the markers over a time; a collision detecting unit that detects collision between the virtual objects and an end point of the haptic device; and a haptic rendering unit that calculates reaction force to be provided through the haptic device.

There are provided a device for providing haptic feedback based on user gesture recognition and a method of operating the same. The device includes a detection unit configured to detect a gesture performed by a user, a recognition unit configured to process detection information in which the user's gesture is detected by the detection unit and recognize a specific gesture performed by the user, and a control unit configured to determine whether haptic feedback information is output in consideration of the user's specific gesture recognized by the recognition unit, deliver the haptic feedback information output according to the determination result to at least one external device of a mobile terminal and a speaker, and provide haptic feedback to the user.

The present invention provides a method for giving a concrete surface visual and tactile detectable warnings for pedestrian traffic and users of wheeled conveyances. This method starts with an existing concrete surface on which the detectable warnings are desired. First it is determined where and in what pattern on the surface the detectable warnings are to be placed. Next, the concrete surface is marked at each space where a warning is to be placed. This can be done by manually measuring and marking or by placing a pre-made sticker sheet, cut to the size of the necessary surface and marked in the predetermined pattern directly on the surface. Next, a hole of predetermined depth and diameter is drilled into the surface at each mark. This can be accomplished using any tool or method acceptable for drilling a hole into concrete according to the specifications necessary for the hole. If a two-ply sticker sheet is being used, the first layer is removed. Next, a button is placed in the hole. Said button is to have a top in the shape of a truncated dome. The bottom of this truncated dome portion must be larger than the diameter of the hole so that it will rest on top of the concrete surface. An elongated member extends from the bottom of the truncated dome part of the button to a length not to exceed the depth of the drilled hole and of a diameter not greater than that of the hole but great enough to cause a secure fit of the elongated member in the hole. Epoxy may be used to increase the security of this fit. Any remaining sticker sheet on the surface is then removed leaving a concrete surface having detectable warnings securely embedded.

Various technologies pertaining to provision of haptic feedback to users of computing devices with touch-sensitive displays are described. First haptic feedback is provided to assist a user in localizing a finger or thumb relative to a graphical object displayed on a touch-sensitive display, where no input data is provided to an application corresponding to the graphical object. A toggle command set forth by the user is subsequently identified; thereafter, an input gesture is received on the touch-sensitive display, and second haptic feedback is provided to aid the user in setting forth input data to the application.

The invention provides a navigation type experiment interaction device with a cognitive function. The navigation type experiment interaction device comprises an information input sensing module, an information fusion module and an operation application module, wherein the information input sensing module obtains visual perception, obtains container information, completes tactile perception and auditory perception through voice input. And the information fusion module determines the multi-mode intention according to the visual sense, the tactile sense and the auditory sense acquired by the information input sensing module. The operation application module is applied to an experiment based on multi-modal intention understanding. According to the invention, perceptual expression of different states of three channels on interaction is realized; and matching the multi-modal information intersection set with the intention feature set to form a multi-modal intention understanding model, completing multi-modal fusion, prompting or guiding key operations through characters or voices, judging wrong operations according to user intentions and operation specifications, and prompting wrong operation behaviors or visually presenting consequences of the wrong operations.