Finger Vision Project
Hideyuki Ando (NTT Communication Science Laboratories)
Eisuke Kusachi (Artist)
Junji Wataanbe (PRESTO JST/NTT Communication Science Laboratories)
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We have developed a novel interface that can superimpose tactile information onto surface or images displayed on a computer monitor. The interface is composed of a small vibrator worn on the nail side of the finger. This nail-mounted interface can generate surface geometries even when the user traces smooth surface. Based on this interface technology, we produced artworks on how we perceive the real and digital world through the sense of touch. We usually perceive surface geometries by the finger movement. |
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Fig. 1.
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However, when the vibration is presented from the NAIL during the finger movement, the vibration can also be perceived as the stimulus from the FINGER PAD, instead of the stimulus from the nail (Fig. 2). When the finger position is measured and the vibration is presented according to the relative position of finger and the visual images, the user can touch bump in tandem with the visual edges even on the smooth surface such as display monitor and paper as in Fig. 3. Based on the same principle, when the vibration patterns are presented from the nail during the finger movement, the vibration patterns can be perceived as the surface texture. When the vibration patterns are presented according to the visual images, the user can touch visual textures. |
Fig. 2: Tactile information presentation from finger nail.
Fig. 3: Bump in tandem with the visual edges on the smooth surface
(display monitor and paper)
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SYSTEM: The vibrator is attached to the nail with the double sticky tape. The vibrator is easy to attach and remove. A microcomputer controls the timing and magnitude of the vibration. The finger position is measured with the touch sensor of LCD panel. The position information is send to the microcomputer for activating the vibrator, and to the PC for updating the visual images (Fig. 4). |
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gDigital frottageh
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Frottage (from French frotter, "to rub") is an automatic method of creative production developed by Max Ernst. In frottage, the user takes a pencil or other drawing tool and makes a "rubbing" over a textured surface. As the areas of the hidden images are rubbed, the images gradually appear with tactile feedback. In our installation, frottage is electronically achieved using the nail-mounted interface. When the users rubs the area of hidden images, the tactile textures are presented through the interface. They can see the images come to the surface, while feeling a virtual texture along the displayed images. Any kind of images can be displayed with tactile feedback, even computer graphics, and handwritings drawn on site. |
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gTouch the invisiblesh
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Though we unconsciously approach visible things, is it natural action?
Which is the essential feature, what we can see or touch ? In our art work invisible lilliputsare muddling. We can not see the lilliputs but can touch them. They are living in the area where modalities of human senses are partly separated. |
Please see the VIDEO!
H. Ando, T. Miki, M. Inami, T. Maeda: SmartFinger Nail-Mounted Tactile Display,
ACM SIGGRAPH 2002 Conference Abstracts and Applications , pp.78 (Emerging Technologies) (2002)
contact: watanabe(at)avg.brl.ntt.co.jp