South SFV Today

Researchers at Stanford Engineering have developed a new wearable haptic device named Haptiknit, which offers realistic pressure-based feedback. This innovation aims to enhance virtual reality experiences, assist in rehabilitation, and facilitate silent communication. Unlike traditional devices that rely on vibration, Haptiknit uses a comfortable knit sleeve with pressure actuators to provide tactile sensations.

The research team, led by Allison Okamura, the Richard W. Weiland Professor of Engineering at Stanford, has published their findings in Science Robotics. "A device like this opens up a lot of new possibilities for user interfaces – how we experience virtual environments, how we experience remote communication," Okamura stated.

The sleeve incorporates a battery-powered pneumatic system with small inflatable pouches as pressure actuators. Cosima du Pasquier, a postdoctoral researcher and first author on the paper, explained the need for an effective method to anchor these pouches against the skin without using bulky exoskeletons. Her hobby of making clothes inspired the use of knit fabric to create a flexible yet structured textile.

Collaborating with MIT’s Self-Assembly Lab, the researchers manufactured the Haptiknit prototype using nylon and cotton yarns combined with thermoplastic fibers. The result is a seamless transition between hard and soft areas within the fabric.

Testing involved 32 users who reported being able to discern touch locations more accurately than with vibrational devices. Participants also recognized emotions such as attention and gratitude through pressure signals better than chance would predict.

"What was particularly interesting was that there was a correlation between whether someone had tried a haptic device before and how highly they rated the comfort of our sleeve," du Pasquier noted.

The research team envisions broader applications for Haptiknit in navigation, military communication, dog training, and potentially full suits for virtual reality interactions. They aim to refine their knitting patterns and expand into larger-scale devices.

"We can use this to start testing how people actually interpret and respond to this type of haptic information," Okamura said about future applications in entertainment, communication, training, or physical assistance.

This work included contributions from researchers at MIT and the University of Houston and received funding from National Science Foundation awards #2301355 and #2301356.