TY - JOUR A1 - Böse, Holger A1 - Baumann, Michael A1 - Monkman, Gareth J. A1 - Egersdörfer, Stefan A1 - Tunayar, A. A1 - Freimuth, Herbert A1 - Ermert, Helmut A1 - Khaled, W. T1 - A new ER fluid based haptic actuator system for virtual reality T2 - International journal of modern physics / B Condensed matter physics, statistical physics N2 - The concept and some steps in the development of a new actuator system which enables the haptic perception of mechanically inhomogeneous virtual objects are introduced. The system consists of a two-dimensional planar array of actuator elements containing an electrorheological (ER) fluid. When a user presses his fingers onto the surface of the actuator array, he perceives locally variable resistance forces generated by vertical pistons which slide in the ER fluid through the gaps between electrode pairs. The voltage in each actuator element can be individually controlled by a novel sophisticated switching technology based on optoelectric gallium arsenide elements. The haptic information which is represented at the actuator array can be transferred from a corresponding sensor system based on ultrasonic elastography. The combined sensor-actuator system may serve as a technology platform for various applications in virtual reality, like telemedicine where the information on the consistency of tissue of a real patient is detected by the sensor part and recorded by the actuator part at a remote location. Y1 - 2005 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-oth-regensburg/frontdoor/index/index/docId/5179 VL - 19 IS - 7-9 SP - 1628 EP - 1634 PB - World Scientific Publ. ER -