Friction Change Tactile Display Remotely Oscillated by Airborne Ultrasound Phased Array

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01404
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 20020:Robotics and intelligent system-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Makino Yasutoshi 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 准教授 (00518714)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 触覚ディスプレイ / 空中超音波 / 超音波フェーズドアレイ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aimed to realize a tactile display that changes surface friction remotely using ultrasound phased array, and to elucidate its basic characteristics. Before starting this project, it was confirmed that the friction on the polystyrene foam surface was reduced by using the ultrasound focus. This research has made progress in this field by taking the following three approaches: 1) clarification of the phenomenon of friction reduction on the surface of polystyrene foam, 2) realization of a friction-changing interactive system using polystyrene foam, and 3) investigation of friction reduction on surfaces other than polystyrene foam using an appropriate resonant structure.
We proposed a new concept of a "disposable tactile display" because the device does not need to be mounted on the target surface.

Free Research Field

触覚情報処理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

タッチパネルの普及により，操作表面に触覚を付与するという研究が近年盛んになっています．これまでに，対象表面側に駆動系を搭載し，表面の摩擦を変化させる手法が多く提案されています．本提案は，環境側に超音波フェーズドアレイを設置することで，対象表面側に機器を必要としない新しい摩擦変化型触覚ディスプレイを実現するものです．発泡スチロール表面の摩擦を変化させられることから，対象表面が汚れたら入れ替える，という使い方が可能になります．このような遠隔からの摩擦変化が可能となる条件を検証し，発泡スチロールに代わる実現方法まで含めて検討した点において，本研究成果の学術的意義があります．