{"id":743635,"date":"2021-05-06T11:18:06","date_gmt":"2021-05-06T18:18:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/?p=743635"},"modified":"2022-04-28T08:31:28","modified_gmt":"2022-04-28T15:31:28","slug":"microsoft-research-collaborates-with-kaist-in-korea-to-explore-bimanual-interactions-with-haptic-feedback-in-virtual-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/blog\/microsoft-research-collaborates-with-kaist-in-korea-to-explore-bimanual-interactions-with-haptic-feedback-in-virtual-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Research collaborates with KAIST in Korea to explore bimanual interactions with haptic feedback in virtual reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"GamesBond<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Editor’s Note: Bimanual controllers are frequently used to enhance the realism and immersion of virtual reality experiences such as games and simulations. Researchers have typically relied on mechanical linkages between the controllers to recreate the sensation of holding different objects with both hands. However, those linkages cannot quickly adapt to simulate dynamic objects. They also make for bulky controllers that can\u2019t be disconnected to support free, independent movements. This is the problem that researchers seek to solve in the recent paper titled \u201cGamesBond: Bimanual Haptic Illusion of Physically Connected Objects for Immersive VR Using Grip Deformation\u201d.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

GamesBond is the outcome of a recent collaboration between Michel Pahud and Mike Sinclair from Microsoft Research and Andrea Bianchi, associate professor at KAIST and director of the MAKinteract (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> lab, with two of his students, Neung Ryu, the original author of the paper, and Hye-Young Jo. The paper was accepted at\u202fACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2021) (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, where it received an honorable mention award.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this project, we explored a pair of novel 4-DoF controllers, without actual physical linkage between them, that can bend, twist, and stretch together in concert to create the illusion of being connected as a single device with a physical link. Each controller can bend from 0 to 30 degrees in any direction, twist from -70 degrees to 70 degrees and stretch from -2.5mm to 9.0mm (the paper <\/a>provides all the details of the mechanism).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Figure
Figure 1: The controller can move in multiple directions, including bending, twisting and stretching<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Figure
Figure 2: The bonds can be (a) rigid to create an experience such as holding a solid bar with two hands, (b) soft to create deformable and pliable objects, or (c) dynamic and capable of rendering inertia and oscillations to perceive objects like elastic ropes.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Figure
Figure 3: The controllers open doors for many user experiences, such as jumping rope held by (a) one or (b) two people<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Figure
Figure 4: The controllers can create a force illusion that feels like breaking a bar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Figure
Figure 5: The controllers can create the illusion of moving weight, such as when holding a fishing net<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Figure
Figure 6: Applications can render different grip shapes, such as: (a) a pair of separate electric screwdrivers with independent handles, (b) a hammer drill with parallel handles, or (c) a jackhammer with aligned handles\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Figure
Figure 7: A fishing rod application can give the illusion of a) pulling a line and b) winding a winch.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

These figures are just a few examples explored, but the sky is the limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We conducted two complementary technical evaluations to characterize the rendering capabilities of the GamesBond controllers \u2013 a pilot study with four participants and a user study with 12 participants. Both quantitative and qualitative metrics support the hypothesis that GamesBond increases the realism, immersion and enjoyment of a VR experience. It also shows that the device can best render soft and dynamic bodies (e.g., a jumping rope), indicating possible avenues of exploration for future applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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