Enhancing audio-haptic enabled novel dental training platform performance

Existing haptic and non-haptic dental simulators do not eliminate the problem of hand instability while using the haptic devices for training purpose. This paper reports an audio-haptic dental training platform, which uses a Hand Stability System to reduce the effect of nervousness and hand instability for trainee dental students. Maintaining the ease of implementation, application customizability and the cost factor, the proposed platform increases the training efficiency by enhancing the immersive haptic experience with hand stability. This haptic platform includes multiple angle viewing techniques, audio feedback and session recording for after action review. Trials using this preliminary platform reduced the effect of human nervousness and hand instability due to the customized design.

Design, development, and evaluation of a pinch-grasp haptic interface

Interaction with virtual or teleoperated environments requires contact with objects on a multipoint level. We describe the design of a pinch--grasp hand interface device for use as a grasping mechanism to complement haptic interfaces. To preserve a suitable level of transparency for human--computer interaction, this novel interface is designed for high-resolution contact forces, while centered around a lightweight structure. This functionality renders the device scalable and adaptable to a wide range of haptic interface structures and force level requirements. We present an optimal configuration for a pinch--grasp interface, which produces bidirectional forces to an operator's fingers and a rotational force to the wrist through a cable drive system. The device is characterized for use on a commercial haptic interface through demonstration of sustained peak performance and also workspace utilization. The dynamic performance of the pinch--grasp interface is experimentally determined, and the frequency response is identified to illustrate its contact force resolution.

Wireless haptic rendering for mobile platforms

Computer haptics has so far been performed on a personal computer (PC). Off the shelf haptic devices provide only PC interfaces and software drivers for control and communication. The new wave of high capable tablet PCs and high end smart phones introduced new platforms for haptic applications. The major problem was to communicate wirelessly to provide user convenience and support mobility which is an essential feature for these platforms. In this paper we provide a wireless layered communication protocol and a hardware setup that enables off the shelf haptic devices to communicate wirelessly with a mobile device. The layers in the protocol enable the change of any hardware components without affecting the data flow. However, the adoption of the wireless interface instead of the wired one comes with the price of speed. Haptic refresh loops require a relatively high refresh rate of 1000 Hz compared to graphics loop which require between 30 and 60 only. An interpolation algorithm was demonstrated to compensate the latency and secure a stable user experience. The introduced setup was tested against portable environments and the users could perform similar functionalities to what are available on a wired setup to a PC.

Next generation robotic counter IED technology : A step change in capability

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are reported as the number one cause of injury and death for allied troops in the current theater of operation. Deakin University’s Centre for Intelligent Systems Research (CISR) is working on next-generation technology to combat the threat. In 2006 CISR was awarded funding through the Capability and Technology Demonstrator (CTD) Program managed by the Australian Defence Force. The objective was to investigate the use of haptics or force feedback technology for Counter-IED (CIED) tasks. Over the past six years, engineers from CISR have worked alongside Defence stakeholders to develop a series of robotic platforms designed to immerse a soldier in the remote environment. Utilising a natural user interface, haptic force feedback and stereovision, the technology has undergone initial trials in Sydney, Canberra, Woomera and at the CISR testing facility in Geelong, Australia. The technology has proved popular among operators allowing them increased fidelity and manipulation speed while significantly reducing required training. CISR has a history of rapidly delivering technology to meet the needs of police and law enforcement in Australia. The OzBot™ series of robots developed in conjunction with the Victorian Police is currently in service and used extensively for hostage negotiation and first responder roles. The CISR robotics group works on technologies that reduce operator fatigue, minimise training liability and maintenance. Over 55 engineers develop simulation environments for increased training availability and continuous improvement to the current range of mobile platforms, including communications range, payload, manipulator reach and capability. This paper describes a number of the technologies, methods and systems developed by CISR for IED neutralisation, with the aim to increasing military awareness of Australian capability.

Broadband technologies, techno-optimism and the "hopeful" citizen

Using the internet to promote or facilitate learning has a relatively long history. As early as the mid-1980s, at a time when the internet itself was relatively experimental, a few early pioneers such as Hiltz were exploring the possibilities that networked computer communications technology could provide for education. Not only were universities the birthplace of the internet as a research network, they also had both staff with interests in using technology for learning as well as the critical infrastructure which might permit early development and adoption. But, with the widespread public uptake of the internet from 1994 onwards, online learning has become much more widespread-through traditional institutions of learning (schools, colleges, and universities), and also through the auto-didactic qualities of both the internet itself and many who use it; and finally through the opportunities which commercial “providers” of education and training imagine might be embedded in this new technology to deinstitutionalize learning.

Power plant cooling technologies : hybrid cooling systems can save water

In addition to water saving, the hybrid cooling concept presented in this book also has the potential to improve energy efficiency and possibly reduce CO2 emission by recovering and upgrading the 'waste' energy from the cooling water stream.Yilmaz and Kouzani are at Deakin Uni, Hessami is at Monash Uni, Hu is at Uni of Adelaide.

A framework for visual and haptic collaboration in shared virtual spaces

We propose a framework for visual and haptic collaboration in X3D/VRML shared virtual spaces. In this collaborative framework, two pipelines— visual and haptic—complement each other to provide a simple and efficient solution to problem requiring collaboration in shared virtual spaces on the web. We consider shared objects defined as virtual object with their visual and physical properties rendered synchronously on each client computer. We introduce virtual tools which are shared objects associated with interactive and haptic devices. We implemented the proposed ideas as a server-client framework with a dedicated viewer. We discuss two implementation frameworks based on the strong and thin server concepts.