Providing tactile feedback to a user through actuators moving a portion of the user's skin
An input interface for a virtual reality (VR) system includes one or more actuators stressing or straining a portion of a user's skin, simulating interactions with presented virtual objects. For example, an actuator comprises a tendon contacting portions of a user's body and coupled to a motor that moves the tendon to move portions of the user's body contacting the tendon. Alternatively, an actuator includes a pad having a surface contacting a surface of the user's body. A driving mechanism moves the pad in one or more directions parallel to the surface of the user's body with varying levels of normal force. In another example, one or more pins contact portions of the user's body and a surface of a bladder. The pins move as the bladder is inflated or deflated, which moves the contacted portions of the user's body. Alternatively, another type of actuator may move the pins.
1. A system comprising:
a console coupled to an electronic display in a head mounted display, the console configured to provide content to the electronic display for presentation to a user; and
a glove configured to be worn on a hand of the user and coupled to the console, the glove comprising:
one or more actuators located at positions of the glove and configured to contact a portion of the hand of the user, each actuator further configured to receive instructions from the console and to stretch the portion of the hand of the user contacting the actuator based on the received instructions, an actuator comprising:
a pin positioned proximate to a surface of a bladder, the pin configured to contact the portion of the body of the user; and
the bladder, which is configured to inflate with a fluid and reposition the pin based on the received instructions.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to move in a direction parallel to the portion of the hand of the user contacting the actuator based on the received instructions.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein an additional actuator is configured to move in an additional direction parallel to the portion of the hand of the user contacting the additional actuator based on instructions received by the additional actuator, the additional direction differing from the direction.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein different actuators receive different instructions from the console causing a set of the actuators to move in a direction different than a direction in which another set of the actuators are caused to move.
5. The system of claim 2 , wherein each actuator moves in a common direction based on the received instructions.
6. A system comprising:
a console coupled to an electronic display in a head mounted display, the console configured to provide content to the electronic display for presentation to a user; and
a control configured to contact one or more parts of a body of a user, the control coupled to the console and comprising:
one or more actuators located at positions of the control and configured to contact a portion of the body of the user, each actuator further configured to receive instructions from the console and to stretch the portion of the body of the user contacting the actuator based on the received instructions, an actuator comprising:
a pin positioned proximate to a surface of a bladder, the pin configured to contact the portion of the body of the user; and
the bladder, which is configured to inflate with a fluid and reposition the pin based on the received instructions.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the actuator is configured to move in a direction parallel to the portion of the body of the user contacting the actuator based on the received instructions.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein an additional actuator is configured to move in an additional direction parallel to the portion of the body of the user contacting the additional actuator based on instructions received by the additional actuator, the additional direction differing from the direction.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein different actuators receive different instructions from the console causing a set of the actuators to move in a direction different than a direction in which another set of the actuators are caused to move.
10. The system of claim 7 , wherein each actuator moves in a common direction based on the received instructions.