MSGID: 1:317/3 6400266e   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    The future of touch    
    Researchers uncover physical limitation in haptic holography    
      
     Date:   
         March 1, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of California - Santa Barbara   
     Summary:   
         Haptic holography promises to bring virtual reality to life, but   
         a new study reveals a surprising physical obstacle that will need   
         to be overcome.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
   ==========================================================================   
   Haptic holography promises to bring virtual reality to life, but a   
   new study reveals a surprising physical obstacle that will need to   
   be overcome.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   A research team at UC Santa Barbara has discovered a new phenomenon   
   that underlies emerging holographic haptic displays, and could lead to   
   the creation of more compelling virtual reality experiences. The team's   
   findings are published in the journal Science Advances.   
      
   Holographic haptic displays use phased arrays of ultrasound emitters   
   to focus ultrasound in the air, allowing users to touch, feel and   
   manipulate three- dimensional virtual objects in mid-air using their   
   bare hands, without the need for a physical device or interface. While   
   these displays hold great promise for use in various application areas,   
   including augmented reality, virtual reality and telepresence, the tactile   
   sensations they currently provide are diffuse and faint, feeling like a   
   "breeze" or "puff of air."  "Our new research explains why such holograms   
   feel much more diffuse or indistinct than would be expected," said Yon   
   Visell, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering,   
   whose research focus is on interactive technologies with an emphasis on   
   haptics, robotics and electronics.   
      
   The study led by Visell and Gregory Reardon, a doctoral student   
   researcher, used high resolution optical imaging, simulations and   
   perception experiments to study ultrasound-excited waves that are excited   
   in the skin during haptic holography. They discovered that holographic   
   displays excite widespread vibration patterns -- shear shock waves --   
   in the skin.   
      
   In haptic holography, Visell explained, shock waves are created when   
   ultrasound waves are focused and scanned in mid-air, causing vibrations   
   in the skin. These vibrations can interfere with each other in a way   
   that amplifies their strength at some locations, a phenomenon known   
   as constructive interference. The formation of shock waves creates   
   a trailing wake pattern that extends beyond the intended focal point,   
   reducing the spatial precision and clarity of the tactile sensations. As   
   an analogy, according to the researchers, if the focused sound beam is a   
   fast-moving boat on the water, the shock wave pattern is a wake trailing   
   the boat. Current holographic haptic displays excite shock wave patterns   
   that are so spread out in the skin that the sensations feel very diffuse.   
      
   "Our study reveals how holographic haptic displays, which are a promising   
   new technology for virtual reality and telepresence, require new knowledge   
   in acoustics innovations in design," Visell said. "By understanding the   
   underlying physics of ultrasound-generated shear shock waves in the skin,   
   we hope to improve the design of haptic holographic displays and make   
   them more realistic and immersive for users. Such haptic displays could   
   enable us to augment our physical surroundings with a limitless variety   
   of virtual objects, interactive animated characters, or graspable tools   
   that can be not only seen, but also touched and felt with the hands."   
   The team's discovery of the previously unknown shock wave phenomena that   
   underlie haptic holography provides an important step forward in creating   
   haptic holographic displays that may enable users to more realistically   
   and immersively interact in the future metaverse.   
      
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Mind_&_Brain   
                   # Educational_Psychology # Consumer_Behavior # Perception   
             o Matter_&_Energy   
                   # Virtual_Environment # Engineering # Quantum_Physics   
             o Computers_&_Math   
                   # Virtual_Reality # Computer_Graphics # Video_Games   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Virtual_reality o Phobia o Acoustics o Spectroscopy o   
             Physical_cosmology o Radiography o List_of_cognitive_biases   
             o Developmental_disability   
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Story Source: Materials provided by   
   University_of_California_-_Santa_Barbara. Original written by Sonia   
   Fernandez. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
   ==========================================================================   
   Journal Reference:   
      1. Gregory Reardon, Bharat Dandu, Yitian Shao, Yon Visell. Shear   
      shock waves   
         mediate haptic holography via focused ultrasound. Science Advances,   
         2023; 9 (9) DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf2037   
   ==========================================================================   
      
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/03/230301162709.htm   
      
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