This thesis describes the design of the hardware and software for a new type of human computer interface system, haptic mouse. Haptic Mouse can be used not only as an input device like an ordinary computer mouse but also as an interface to feedback the reaction force from the virtual environment.
The hardware of the haptic mouse consists of two parts. One is the planar force feedback mechanism, which is made of five-bar mechanism. Actuator specification and workspace size are based on the experimental results. In addition, optimal design in terms of kinematics has been performed by considering such performance indexes as dexterity, force index, and the uniformity of the two performance indexes. The other is the grabbing force feedback mechanism, which is made of double prismatic joint mechanism. When people are asked to feel an object they tend to feel the property of the object by grabbing it with their fingers. Therefore the grabbing force feedback in the new haptic mouse system is expected to generate more realistic touch feelings of virtual object than the ordinary haptic device systems, which generate only point contact force.
In addition, haptic rendering algorithm have been developed to give a feelings of weight, shape and surface texture which is essential in sensing virtual object in virtual environment. These kinds of haptic rendering algorithm enable the 2 dimensional haptic mouse to give a feeling of an 3 dimensional object.
Such a haptic mouse system can be used as a main interface for a virtual shopping. By adding haptic information to the visual and audio information, haptic mouse system is expected to present more realistic experience in e-commerce in the future.
