Mediate VR Shape Display
| Status | Duration | Organization | Learn More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Complete | 2015-2017 | MIT Media Lab, Tangible Media Group | Learn More |
A mobile semi-autonomous shape display for haptic interaction with virtual reality.
Previous “Shape Displays” could only recreate the geometric shape of simulated objects that were smaller than themselves. To “render” larger objects, the virtual object had to be rescaled or moved “under” the display, analogous to moving a slide under a stationary microscope. Mediate inverts this paradigm by proposing a small shape display, just big enough for one hand, that moves “over” static virtual objects, analogous to moving a magnifying glass. The system consists of a small shape display, utilizing the inForce platform, mounted to a mobile omnidirectional base. Hand tracking is accomplished with a Leap Motion sensor, and 3D tracking within the room is provided by SteamVR (HTC Vive).
The mobile base has four omni-wheels arranged perpendicular to each other, mounted to the corners. This enables the mobile to move omnidirectionally, and also to rotate while moving. The Leap Motion sensor is mounted on a boom above the pin array, as is the SteamVR Vive tracker.
The Mediate software is a Unity application using SteamVR for to track the 3D pose of the shape display relative to stationary virtual geometry. Rays are projected from the base of each pin, and intersected with virtual mesh objects. The pin height is then set to the length of the vector. This way, the display will recreate the surface geometry of arbitrary objects in arbitrary relative positions and orientations to itself. The tracking and pin-rendering run independently from the hand-following, so the user can move the display manually to “reveal” virtual geometry, if they choose.
Mediate was featured live at TechCrunch Robotics 2017 in techcrunch.com
