HaptoBend: Shape-Changing Passive Haptic Feedback in Virtual Reality

HaptoBend is an original device for providing general passive haptic feedback in virtual reality. The importance of haptic feedback in virtual reality is apparent through improvements in presence and user performance. However, most general haptic systems rely on a large number of props, or large, complex actuated systems. As a simple shape-changing device HaptoBend addresses this gap by allowing users to manipulate it from a flat plane for 2D shapes and interactions, into multi-sided objects for 3D shapes and interactions. HaptoBend is simple, yet diverse by leveraging the dominance of human vision over other senses to provide realistic passive haptic feedback with physical approximations.