Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!rice!uupsi!rodan.acs.syr.edu!isr From: isr@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Michael S. Schechter - ISR group account) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: the interface for the rest of us? Message-ID: <1991May13.224017.15301@rodan.acs.syr.edu> Date: 13 May 91 22:40:17 GMT References: <42908@netnews.upenn.edu> Organization: Institute for Sensory Research Lines: 34 In article bmb@bluemoon.uucp (Bryan Bankhead) writes: >porten@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jeffrey Porten) writes: >> In article <1271@uqcspe.cs.uq.oz.au> brendan@cs.uq.oz.au writes: >> >Oh while we are talking 3D displays, why not simply let you move your >> >hand around whithin the display and pick up and use virtual objects such >> Do you have any idea how hard it would be to get people to use an interface >> where they see themselves picking up an object, but receive NO other >> tactile feedback? Sight alone in NO way would be able to give the sort >People manage to do some prety sophisticated virtual manipulation in video >games with just visual inuput. I think people will adapt just fine. Any >system this sophisticated will have the capacity to recover from errors >gracefully. In any case typing is noth the kind of operations this sort I agree with Jeffrey Porten, this will be difficult. A video game gives you tactile feedback, whether it's from feeling how far you have turned a knob, or how far down a button is pressed, or whatever tactile feedback you have, there's almost always some... There's also the problem of holding your hand/finger above the button, without drifting into it when your not watching YOUR HAND, instead of something interesting. This could be simulated by simple force-feedback on the fingers when they approach within a certain virtual distance of a virtual object. The force could be dependent on the "hardness" of an object or actuating force of a virtual 'button'. There's still the problem of drifting, though, this only warns of possible drift, Ideally you'd like your hand resting on or grasping your virtual thingummy. This could be done by having the user have to overcome the force of the feedback actuator/stimulator. This might make problems, of everything in the VR having a virtual tactile "skin", but i think it would be better than sticking your hand thru a wall without any feeling, or pushing oneself away from it w/o any feeling. Mike_Schechter@isr.syr.edu -- Mike_Schechter@isr.syr.edu | XLII,B,+3dB,Non-Nak | Make Tapes, Not War