Haptics interface for modelling and simulation of flexible cables

Virtual reality systems are becoming a must for product and process design, training practices and ergonomic analysis in many manufacturing industries. The automotive sector is considered to be the leader in applying virtual reality (VR) solutions for real-world, non-trivial, problems. Although, a number of commercial 3D engineering tools for digital mockups exist, most of them lack intuitive direct manipulation of the digital mockups. The majority of these 3D engineering tools are constrained to the interaction mainly with rigid objects which is just half the story. To bridge this gap, we have developed a haptics interface for modelling and simulation of flexible objects. The graphical and haptic user interface developed allows the creation of multiple one dimensional (1D) flexible objects, such as hoses, cables and harnesses. The user is required to provide the mechanical properties of the material such as Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, material density, damping factors, as well as dimensional properties such as length, and inner and outer diameters of the flexible object. Flexilution solver is employed to estimate and simulate the dynamic behaviour of flexible objects in response to external user interaction, whereas Nvidia's generic physics engine is used to simulate the behaviour of rigid objects. A generic communication interface is developed to accommodate a variety of devices without the reconfiguration of the simulation platform.

Intuitive haptics interface with accurate force estimation and reflection at nanoscale

Technologies, such as Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), have proven to be one of the most versatile research equipments in the field of nanotechnology by providing physical access to the materials at nanoscale. Working principles of AFM involve physical interaction with the sample at nanometre scale to estimate the topography of the sample surface. Size of the cantilever tip, within the range of few nanometres diameter, and inherent elasticity of the cantilever allow it to bend in response to the changes in the sample surface leading to accurate estimation of the sample topography. Despite the capabilities of the AFM, there is a lack of intuitive user interfaces that could allow interaction with the materials at nanoscale, analogous to the way we are accustomed to at macro level. To bridge this gap of intuitive interface design and development, a haptics interface is designed in conjunction with Bruker Nanos AFM. Interaction with the materials at nanoscale is characterised by estimating the forces experienced by the cantilever tip employing geometric deformation principles. Estimated forces are reflected to the user, in a controlled manner, through haptics interface. Established mathematical framework for force estimation can be adopted for AFM operations in air as well as in liquid mediums.

Force reflection distribution of haptic devices

Haptically enabled virtual reality systems facilitate rapid and low cost testing for process design, training practices and ergonomic analysis in many manufacturing industries, particularly automotive and aerospace. In this work we design a validation framework to validate the dynamic forces displayed by haptic display devices using a robot arm equipped with a force sensor. The validation framework is completely autonomous to ensure unbiased characterization. Measured force magnitude and the direction of the sensed force vector are the main criteria used in this work.

Realistic grasping of rigid virtual objects through event-based haptics

This research presents a novel haptic grasping interface and demonstrates its ability within multi-point event-based feedback. Through experimental methodology, the dynamics involved in grasp contact interactions are modelled based on first principles. The proposed approach demonstrates a method of realistically representing grasp contact with rigid virtual objects through multi-point interaction.

Working at the interface : the descriptive relevance of Grunig and Hunt’s theories to public relations practices in south east Queensland schools

This article examines the relevance of James Grunig and Todd Hunt’s (1984) theories to public relations practitioners’ roles in south east Queensland schools. It focuses in particular on the two-way symmetric model in this context. The geographical boundaries of the research mean that this article is intended primarily as an exploratory, descriptive analysis of a specific area rather than an exhaustive treatise on the general topic of public relations in Australian schools. However, it is hoped that it will prove useful in identifying bases for further study and discussion.

Cipher cities : effective user interface design for building a digital social network around location-based gaming

In this paper we explore what is required of a User Interface (UI) design in order to encourage participation around playing and creating Location-Based Games (LBGs). To base our research in practice, we present Cipher Cities, a web based system. Through the design of this system, we investigate how UI design can provide tools for complex content creation to compliment and encourage the use of mobile phones for designing, distributing, and playing LBGs. Furthermore we discuss how UI design can promote and support socialisation around LBGs through the design of functional interface components and services such as groups, user profiles, and player status listings.