ThermalPen: Adding Thermal Haptic Feedback to 3D Sketching

Sketching in virtual 3D environments has enabled new forms of artistic expression and a variety of novel design use-cases. However, the lack of haptic feedback proves to be one of the main challenges in this field. While prior work has investigated vibrotactile and force-feedback devices, this paper proposes the addition of thermal feedback. We present ThermalPen, a novel pen for 3D sketching that associates the texture and colour of strokes with different thermal properties. For example, a fire texture elicits an increase in temperature, while an ice texture causes a temperature drop in the pen. Our goal with ThermalPen is to enhance the 3D sketching experience and allow users to use this tool to increase their creativity while sketching. We plan on evaluating the influence of thermal feedback on the 3D sketching experience, with a focus on user creativity in the future.