The Tactile Window: A Haptic Tool for Material Selection

In this article a haptic tool for industrial designers is presented. The tool should aid them in material selection for product experience and fit in an advanced design studio: the Tangible Virtual Reality environment. A study of related work suggests that six touch sensations are essential in this context. A solution idea for multi-sensation feedback was developed and its intended behavior and functionalities defined. A first concept combines two of the relevant sensations: texture and warmth, the former displayed by a piezo-driven pin array and the latter by a peltier element acting as a heat pump. A simple experiment — matching displayed stimuli to real materials — was conducted to prove the feasibility of the concept. Experimental results confirm that the prototype gives the impression of a certain surface, but the absence of four relevant sensations limits the experience’s realism. However promising, these results confirm the desirability of further integration of touch sensations in one device.