Fluidically programmed wearable haptic textiles

TitleFluidically programmed wearable haptic textiles
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2023
AuthorsJumet, B, Zook, ZA, Yousaf, A, Rajappan, A, Xu, D, Yap, TFaye, Fino, N, Liu, Z, O’Malley, MK, Preston, DJ
JournalDevice
Pagination100059
ISSN2666-9986
Keywordsanalog control; fluidic control; haptic sleeve; human-machine interaction; human-robot interaction; Navigation; point force; smart textiles; spatiotemporal haptics; tactile cues
Abstract

Summary Haptic feedback offers a useful mode of communication in visually or auditorily noisy environments. The adoption of haptic devices in our everyday lives, however, remains limited, motivating research on haptic wearables constructed from materials that enable comfortable and lightweight form factors. Textiles, a material class fitting these needs and already ubiquitous in clothing, have begun to be used in haptics, but reliance on arrays of electromechanical controllers detracts from the benefits that textiles offer. Here, we mitigate the requirement for bulky hardware by developing a class of wearable haptic textiles capable of delivering high-resolution information on the basis of embedded fluidic programming. The designs of these haptic textiles enable tailorable amplitudinal, spatial, and temporal control. Combining these capabilities, we demonstrate wearables that deliver spatiotemporal cues in four directions with an average user accuracy of 87%. Subsequent demonstrations of washability, repairability, and utility for navigational tasks exemplify the capabilities of our approach.

URLhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666998623000832
DOI10.1016/j.device.2023.100059
Citation KeyJUMET2023100059

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