Method for providing haptic puzzles, shape puzzles, and position puzzles using a haptic virtual reality gaming system

VR Puzzle for Tactile Texture Recognition Training Using Combined Haptic Property Values for Materials

This technology is a haptic puzzle system consisting of a display, haptic device, input unit, and conversion unit. It presents the tactile sensations of a query object and multiple example objects, allowing users to select the object with the matching texture. It implements tactile feedback by combining stiffness, damping, static friction, and kinetic friction values of real-world materials such as meat, wood, stone, glass, and jelly.

While haptics can enhance immersion and interactivity in virtual environments, related research is still in its early stages and has primarily focused on providing auxiliary sensory channels for the visually impaired. Existing VR rehabilitation games rely on audiovisual cues without haptics or provide only simple force and vibration feedback, lacking the technology to implement force and tactile sensations simultaneously.

This technology defines object hardness via stiffness, viscosity via damping, and surface texture via static and kinetic friction. By combining these four values and providing them to a haptic device, it reproduces distinct tactile sensations for different materials. Users can train their tactile recognition skills by comparing textures in a game format and receiving immediate feedback. This technology can be applied to tactile and cognitive rehabilitation programs for the disabled, elderly, and children, as well as educational serious games, helping them maintain interest while performing repetitive sensory training.

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Key Features:

• The conversion unit displays icons corresponding to the query object and multiple example objects on the display, and provides the tactile sensation of each object to the user via the haptic device.
• Receiving a selection of an object with the same texture as the query object from the example objects via the input unit and determining whether the textures match.
• Configuring objects that correspond to one of meat, wood, stone, glass, leather, bone, sand, jelly, or orange, with haptic properties determined according to a predefined table.
• A tactile implementation method that combines stiffness (defining object hardness), damping (defining viscosity), and static and kinetic friction (defining texture) to provide feedback to the haptic device.

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Education for research on haptic simulation for otolaryngology endoscopic surgery training.

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