Haptic Source-Effector: Full-Body Haptics via Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation

This work was published and received an honorable mention for best paper at ACM CHI 2024, and done by Yudai Tanaka, Jacob Serfaty, and Pedro Lopes at the University of Chicago's Human Computer Integration Lab.

Abstract:
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 sensorimo- tor 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.

Find out more about this work: https://lab.plopes.org/#source-effector