HapticWhirl, a flywheel-gimbal handheld haptic controller for exploring multimodal haptic feedback

Abstract: Most haptic actuators available on the market today can generate only a single modality of stimuli. This ultimately limits the capacity of a kinaesthetic haptic controller to deliver more expressive feedback, requiring a haptic controller to integrate multiple actuators to generate complex haptic stimuli, with a corresponding complexity of construction and control. To address this, we designed a haptic controller to deliver several modalities of kinaesthetic haptic feedback using a single actuator: a flywheel, the orientation of which is controlled by two gimbals capable of rotating over 360 degrees, in combination with a flywheel brake. This enables the controller to generate multiple haptic feedback modalities, such as torque feedback, impact simulation, low-frequency high-amplitude vibrations, inertial effects (the sensation of momentum), and complex haptic output effects such as the experience of vortex-like forces (whirl effects). By combining these diverse haptic effects, the controller enriches the haptic dimension of VR environments. This paper presents the device’s design, implementation, and characterization, and proposes potential applications for future work