A wirelessly programmable, skin-integrated thermo-haptic stimulator system for virtual reality

Abstract

Sensations of heat and touch produced by receptors in the skin are of essential importance for perceptions of the physical environment, with a particularly powerful role in interpersonal interactions. Advances in technologies for replicating these sensations in a programmable manner have the potential not only to enhance virtual/augmented reality environments but they also hold promise in medical applications for individuals with amputations or impaired sensory function. Engineering challenges are in achieving interfaces with precise spatial resolution, power-efficient operation, wide dynamic range, and fast temporal responses in both thermal and in physical modulation, with forms that can extend over large regions of the body. This paper introduces a wireless, skin-compatible interface for thermo-haptic modulation designed to address some of these challenges, with the ability to deliver programmable patterns of enhanced vibrational displacement and high-speed thermal stimulation. Experimental and computational investigations quantify the thermal and mechanical efficiency of a vertically stacked design layout in the thermo-haptic stimulators that also supports real-time, closed-loop control mechanisms. The platform is effective in conveying thermal and physical information through the skin, as demonstrated in the control of robotic prosthetics and in interactions with pressure/temperature-sensitive touch displays.

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Kim, J.-H., Vázquez-Guardado, A., Luan, H., Kim, J.-T., Yang, D. S., Zhang, H., Chang, J.-K., Yoo, S., Park, C., Wei, Y., Christiansen, Z., Kim, S., Avila, R., Kim, J. U., Lee, Y. J., Shin, H.-S., Zhou, M., Jeon, S. W., Baek, J. M., … Rogers, J. A. (2024). A wirelessly programmable, skin-integrated thermo-haptic stimulator system for virtual reality. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 121(22), e2404007121. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404007121

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