Sensor-actuator device could add touch to virtual and augmented reality
A new, flexible, transparent, sensor patch, which is sensitive to human touch, is displayed in professor Liwei Lin's lab at Etcheverry Hall, at UC Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif. on July 1, 2019. The sensor is being developed by graduate student Junwen Zhong. (Photo by Adam Lau/Berkeley Engineering)
Researchers at UC Berkeley College of Engineering recently announced that they developed a piezoelectret-based device that is a sensor and actuator. The device vibrates as feedback, similar to how it works in smartphones. But this technology is also very flexible, lending itself to be integrated into clothing and other wearable technologies.
Researchers believe that this technology could significantly improve the user experience in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) applications, changing the way they see and hear. In fact, they believe that it could provide touch feeling in immersive virtual experiences in the future.
In addition, the vibrations generated by the actuator can be customized, which could be used to help people with visual or hearing impairments communicate via vibrations.
The sensor function can generate electrical outputs without a power supply, which can turn on the actuator via electrostatic force to generate the vibrations that can be felt by human skin.
Zhong said that this device outperforms popular piezoelectric materials, showing a high piezoelectric coefficient and low driving voltage. This is key to improving the sensor’s sensitivity and the amount of electricity needed to power the actuator, he said.
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