Published: CHI '24 (Honorable Mention); demoed at UIST '24 (Best Demo Honorable Mention)
Authors: Yudai Tanaka, Jacob Serfaty, Pedro Lopes
Affiliation: UChicago Human-Computer Integration Lab
We propose a novel concept for haptics in which one centralized on-body actuator renders haptic effects on multiple body parts by stimulating the brain, i.e., the source of the nervous system—we call this a haptic source-effector, as opposed to the traditional wearables’ approach of attaching one actuator per body part (end-effectors). We implement our concept via transcranial-magnetic-stimulation (TMS)—a non-invasive technique from neuroscience/medicine in which electromagnetic pulses safely stimulate brain areas. Our approach renders ~15 touch/force-feedback sensations throughout the body (e.g., hands, arms, legs, feet, and jaw—which we found in our first user study), all by stimulating the user’s sensorimotor cortex with a single magnetic coil moved mechanically across the scalp. In our second user study, we probed into participants’ experiences while using our haptic display in VR. Finally, as the first implementation of full-body haptics based on non-invasive brain stimulation, we discuss the roadmap to extend its interactive opportunities.
Programmed a C# script that controls the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Implemented many safety features to TMS stimulation, including a 5 second cooldown between stimulations, blocking stimulation while the TMS coil is moving, and an emergency stop button
VR demos managed the cooldowns by adjusting enemy attacks, player attack charge times, and animation durations
Coded a Java application that collects drawings from users for a user study that finds the areas of tactile sensations that users can experience from TMS
Created a data analysis application for the drawing study that displays user images, arranges them intelligently, and performs additional data analysis calculations.
Designed a VR shooting game in Unity that showcases the TMS haptic effects
Ran a second user study investigating users' opinions on TMS, organized and analyzed all the data
Singlehandedly designed and developed the entire UIST demo application which won the Best Demo Honorable Mention award