From: John Draper <draperjv@ornl.gov>
Subject: Re: DESIGN: Tactile,Haptic,Kinaesthetic Feedback Terminology
Date: 19 Dec 1995 22:20:24 GMT
Message-ID: <4b7dr8$agh@stc06.ctd.ornl.gov>
Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory


From: John Draper <draperjv@ornl.gov>

>blake@u.washington.edu (Blake Hannaford) wrote:
>I think that you are more or less correct in your judgement of the
>meanings of these terms.  However, we are far from standard
>definitions.  First, as you mention, I would reserve the term
>"tactile" for devices which contain a fine two dimensional array of
>pressure stimulators and which primarily address interaction with
>textures and edges.

I think the terminology followed for SE systems should follow the
terms developed over the years in psychology. From the "Handbook of
perception and human performance, Vol. II: Cognitive processes and
performance" (New York: Wiley, 1986) there are several classes of
"tactual perception" including:

Label of Mode             Source of Information
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tactile perception        Cutaneous (i.e., skin senses)
Kinesthetic perception    Muscles and limbs
Haptic perception         Combined tactile and kinesthetic

Note: Kinesthetic perception and haptic perception may be passive or
active depending upon whether the person acts on the world or is acted
upon by the world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
               
>In my opinion the following terms are clear for the type of device you
>describe.  However the field is not mature enough for there to be any
>significant difference between them in terms of nuance.
>
>Force Display
>Force Feedback Device
>Haptic Display 
>Force Reflecting Hand Controller
>
>I would understand all of the above to mean a device like yours which
>applys a computed force in response to a human displacement OR which
>applys a computed displacement in response to a human force.

I draw some distinctions among these. For me, "force display" and
"force feedback device" are general terms that may include a force
reflecting hand controller or a visual force display, as developed by
JPL, for example. A force reflecting hand controller provides
kinesthetic information. A haptic display provides tactile and
kinesthetic information.

However, as you say, the field is immature and the nuances that I draw
are probably idiosyncratic to some extent.


-- 
Dr. John V. Draper, Ph.D.           |  Everybody who knew Townshend loved him.
Robotics & Process Systems Division |  This last must always be considered a 
Oak Ridge National Laboratory       |  dubious qualification. W.S.C. Churchill,
e-mail: draperjv@ornl.gov           |  "Marlborough"