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From: klw11037@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: sci.virtual-worlds
Subject: Re: Data Glove Feedback
Message-ID: <138900002@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 23 Aug 90 23:55:00 GMT
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Was there anything in the article on the percentage of total length that it 
contracted and the amount of force that it could exert? Was the light the
only power source, or was there another source with light simply the trigger?
Speed of response would be another factor.

True that user safety is a major concern. The problem is to exert enough
force to stop a preempted motion (e.g. squashing a construct that is 
representing a steel bar) but not being able to apply the force in such
a way as to injure or stop desired movement. My idea with the combination
of nitinol springs and variable viscous damping was that the spring system
could be made weak enough that it would be strong enough to halt motion
with the viscous damping turned on, but not by itself. 

I don't know about the voltages involved in controlling electro-rheologics.
I'll try to find out.


Kyle Webb