Haptic glove for use in a virtual environment
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a haptic feedback device for converting virtual environment data into haptic feedback. Haptic feedback device can have a housing configured to receive a motor. The motor can be coupled to a camshaft and a main bladder disposed beneath the camshaft within the housing. The main bladder can be coupled to a valve controller via tubing and the valve controller can have a manifold and one or more valves. The one or more valves can be coupled to one or more haptic sensors via secondary tubing.
1. A haptic feedback device comprising:
a housing enclosing:
a microprocessor;
a motor coupled to a camshaft;
at least one inertial sensor configured to transmit movement data to a computing device;
a main bladder disposed beneath the camshaft and coupled to a valve controller by a first tubing, wherein the main bladder is filled with air; and
the valve controller having a manifold and one or more valves, wherein the manifold is coupled to the first tubing and coupled to the one or more valves;
a glove enclosing:
at least five haptic sensors coupled to at least four valves of the one or more valves, each of the at least five haptic sensors are individually coupled to the at least four valves by a second tubing, wherein two of the at least five haptic sensors are coupled to one of the at least four valves;
wherein, the microprocessor is configured to receive a signal from the computing device in response to the movement data received from the at least one inertial sensor and in response actuates the motor which rotates the camshaft to depress the main bladder forcing the air within the main bladder to the one or more valves and controlling the valve controller to open the one or more valves to actuate the one or more haptic sensors, the opening of the one or more valves being configurable for a rapid inflation or gradual inflation based on the signal.
2. The haptic feedback device of claim 1 , wherein the haptic sensors are bladders.
3. The haptic feedback device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more haptic sensors includes five bladders.
4. The haptic feedback device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more haptic sensors includes four bladders.
5. The haptic feedback device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more valves are independently actuated.
6. A method comprising:
receiving, from a computing device in response to movement data sent by an inertial sensor, a first command to actuate at least five haptic sensors, wherein the first command including either a rapid inflation type or a gradual inflation type based on the movement data;
actuating, by a microprocessor, a motor coupled to a camshaft, wherein in response to the motor being actuated the camshaft depresses a main bladder filled with air;
sending, by the microprocessor, a second command to a valve controller; and
in response to receiving the second command, the valve controller actuates one or more valves of at least four valves coupled to the main bladder by a first tubing, wherein one or more haptic sensors of the at least five haptic sensors are actuated through a second tubing by the opening of the valves to receive the air from the main bladder, wherein two of the at least five haptic sensors are coupled to one of the at least four valve.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the haptic sensors are bladders.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more haptic sensors includes five bladders.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more haptic sensors includes four bladders.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the one or more valves are independently actuated.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the process to perform the operations of:
receive, from a computing device in response to movement data sent by an inertial sensor, a first command to actuate at least five haptic sensors, wherein the first command including either a rapid inflation type or a gradual inflation type based on the movement data;
actuate a motor coupled to a camshaft, wherein in response to the motor being actuated the camshaft depresses a main bladder filled with air;
send a second command to a valve controller; and
in response to receiving the second command, the valve controller actuates one or more valves of at least four valves coupled to the main bladder by a first tubing, wherein one or more haptic sensors of the at least five haptic sensors are actuated through a second tubing by the opening of the valves to receive the air from the main bladder, wherein two of the at least five haptic sensors are coupled to one of the at least four.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the haptic sensors are bladders.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the one or more haptic sensors includes five bladders.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the one or more haptic sensors includes four bladders.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the one or more valves are independently actuated.