New Patch Transmits the Complexity of Haptic Touch to the Skin
Northwestern University researchers have developed a wearable device that can vibrate, pressurize, and twist the skin.
The new device, described in a study published in Nature, is a significant advancement in the field of wearable technology. It comprises a hexagonal array of 19 small magnetic actuators encapsulated within a thin, flexible silicone-mesh material. Each actuator can independently provide a range of tactile feedback, enabling a more realistic and immersive sensory experience.
Bioelectronics in Haptic Touch
John A. Rogers helped lead the study. He is a pioneer in bioelectronics at Northwestern University. The new device is based on the team’s earlier work. They formerly worked on epidermal VR. Epidermal VR means using virtual reality technology on the skin. This is a skin-interfaced system that communicates touch through an array of miniature vibrating actuators.
Roger asserted that our new, compact skin devices are significantly superior. These new devices represent a substantial advancement over the simple “buzzers” we utilized in our original 2019 paper. Specifically, these devices are known as actuators. Actuators are small machines designed to create movement or control a system. Moreover, these tiny devices can deliver controlled forces across a range of frequencies, thereby providing constant force without the need for continuous power application. Additionally, the same actuators can generate a gentle twisting motion on the skin’s surface, which enhances the realism of the sensations. In essence, actuators are devices that create movement, and they play a crucial role in making experiences feel more lifelike by moving in specific ways.
Storing Mechanical Energy as Elastic Energy
The device’s energy-efficient design is a key feature, as it can stay in two stable positions without requiring constant energy input. By leveraging the skin’s stored energy, the device only uses power when the actuators change position, allowing for longer battery life.
Instead of fighting against the skin, the idea was ultimately to actually use the energy that’s stored in the skin mechanically as elastic energy and recover that during the operation of the device, said Matthew Flavin.
Flavin is now an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The researchers demonstrated how the device operates. Specifically, it can replace visual information with touch feedback. This means that users are able to feel their way around their environment. Consequently, they can avoid obstacles and adjust their posture and foot placement. As a result, this helps them maintain better balance, even when wearing a blindfold. This process of substituting one sense for another is known as sensory substitution. Therefore, it could prove to be extremely beneficial for individuals with vision impairments.
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