Applying Haptics to Interactive Large Screen Displays

PubDate: July 2020

Teams: Institute for Energy Technology, Digital SystemsHaldenNorway

Writers: Alf Ove Braseth；Aleksander Toppe；Hans Olav Randem；Alexandra Fernandes

PDF: Applying Haptics to Interactive Large Screen Displays

Abstract

Within industries such as nuclear, petroleum and chemical processes, monitoring and control is done from a centralized control room. The introduction of individual digital workstations, replacing analogue panels with buttons and knobs has resulted in two challenges: i) lack of haptic feedback of actions, and ii) decreased transparency in team members’ actions. This paper proposes that a handheld haptic device, used directly in a large-screen display could mitigate these challenges. We present lessons learned from a working prototype connected to a nuclear simulator. Requirements for the prototype included a scratch free display surface with built in precision position tracking; and a haptic device with two channels for interaction. We found that the use of haptic feedback is feasible and strengthens the experience of direct interaction. Nonetheless, it was challenging to perform actions requiring rotational movement. Further work should include iterative user studies.