http://interaction.lille.inria.fr/~roussel/pub/STIMTAC/2011-proto4.jpg%% %height=300px%http://interaction.lille.inria.fr/~roussel/pub/STIMTAC/INRIA-0130-180.jpg%%

Paper presenting the different versions of the Stimtac device and the corresponding video

Stimtac is a touchPad like tactile display

How it works

Watch the video about stimtac: .MPG

2004: stator of USR60

2004: Prehistoric time.

First prototype of StimTac used a free stator of an Ultrasonic Motor called USR60. This ring shaped resonator can provide 3µm vibrations at 40kHz. A plastic tape was bonded to level the touched surface, and eliminate the effect of the teeth machined on the original stator. A Linear Variable Differential Transformer (LVDT) was used to detect fingertip's position. This solution wasn't optimal: it's one dimension, with contact, and doesn't measure touch area's position acurately.

2007: made at the lab

2007: First prototypes made at the lab.

The idea of StimTac was to produce a tactile device which can render good tactile stimulation, and which can be as small as possible in the same time. « Squeeze film effect » was found to be the interaction process between the vibrating plate and the fingertip. A specific prototype was then manufactured. The design results in a plate, on which a stationary wave propagates. Width and length have been chosen in order to favour squeeze film.

2008: Stimtac becomes a portable tactile stimulator

2008: A portable tactile stimulator.

To operate, Stimtac need an accurate finger position sensor.In order to remove the LVDT, a custom-made optical sensor is thus used to locate the user’s finger. The sensor was built from two white LEDs, a set of mirrors and a linear 200 dpi CCD array. An on-board DSP computes the centroids of two shadow images created by the user’s finger and sends them on a serial line as absolute (x; y) coordinates at a rate of 120 Hz. The final resolution of the sensor is 170 dpi due to optical constraints and post-treatments.

2010: improvement in power consumption

2010: Stimtac is thin, lightweight and sobre.

A more convenient design of Stimtac could cut the power losses down by 90%. Consequently, the tactile plate doesn't get warm, allowing the user to play a long time with the device. Moreover, the rated power (0.5W) is sufficiently small to allow a power supply from a lightweight power source, or directly from an USB port for example.

At the begining, prototypes were not as compact and lightweight as today. Discover in this gallery the ancestors of the new tactile display

At the begining, prototypes were not as compact and lightweight as today. Discover in this gallery the ancestors of the new tactile display

At the begining, prototypes were not as compact and lightweight as today. Discover in this http://www.lifl.fr/mint/pmwiki.php?n=gallery the ancestors of the new tactile display

Computer environments become richer of outstanding output devices; while visual or auditive devices are common, the use of force feedback is becoming more widespread and helps users to interact with computer applications. However, a specific stimulation of the finger pulp is not often provided by those interfaces yet. Touch feeling is thus missing, so that there's a lack of realism and applications don't take profit of the tactile channel. So there's a need for a tactile stimulator sufficiently small to be laid next to a computer desktop, but sufficiently realistic to simulate different surface textures.

Previous devices

At the begining, prototypes were not as compact and lightweight as today. Discover in this gallery the ancestors of the new tactile display

A Piezoelectric Tactile Display Using Travelling Lamb Wave

 EUROHAPTICS 2006, pages. 567–570, 7-2006, 

Phd Thesis

Dynamics of the lateral motion EP : a perceptual role.

 Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, Fraçois Martinot, Frédéric GIRAUD, Patricia Plénacoste, Karim Talbi, CH. Chaillou, Ph. Pernod  

• PhD Thesis
• Patents
• Articles

Phd Thesis Melisande Biet

 Conception et contrôle d'actionneurs électro-actifs dédiés à la stimulation tactile,
 University Lille1 URL

A Piezoelectric Tactile Display Using Travelling Lamb Wave, EUROHAPTICS 2006, pages. 567–570, 7-2006,

 Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL 

 Eurohaptics. 2006   
 François Martinot, Patricia Plénacoste, Betty Semail 

Mechanical Responses of the Fingerpad and Distal Phalanx to Friction of a Grooved Surface : Effect of the Contact Angle

 In Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems (part of IEEE-VR). 2006
 François Martinot, Patricia Plénacoste and Christophe Chaillou.

The Influence of Surface Commensurability on Roughness Perception With a Bare Finger

 In Eurohaptics. 2006
 François Martinot.

ANALYSE DU TOUCHER ET SIMULATION DE SURFACES FIBREUSES ANISOTROPES A L’AIDE D’UN EFFECTEUR : EXEMPLE DU VELOURS

 Journée Française de Tribologie, Albi (France), 5-2010
 Marie-Ange BUENO, Frédéric GIRAUD, R. BOCQUET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, M. TOURLONIAS, R.ROSSI, Michel AMBERG  

Dynamics of the lateral motion EP : a perceptual role.

Watch the video about stimtac: .MPG

At the begining, prototypes was not as compact and lightweight as today. Discover in this gallery the ancestors of the new tactile display

 Frédéric GIRAUD, Michel Amberg, Romuald Vanbelleghem, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL URL

 Mélisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL URL   

 Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL URL  

 Peter Sergeant, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  URL

Watch the video about stimtac: Attach:stimtac.mpg

Watch the video about stimtac: stimtac.mpg

• How it works
• History

How it Works

History

• Hystory
• Previous Devices

Hystory

Discover the Stimtac's story

previous devices

Presentation of Stimtac

Publications

[[#publication]

(:title Stimtac:)(:Summary:Presentation of Stimtac:)

%25center%25 Attach:stimtac.mpg

Patents

Publications

Power consumption reduction of a controlled friction Tactile Plate

 Eurohaptics 2010 Amsterdam, 7-2010  

Analysis of a New Haptic Display Coupling Tactile and Kinesthetic Feedback to Render Texture and Shape

Geometrical optimization of an ultrasonic tactile plate for surface texture rendering

 Sensors and Actuators: A Physical, Vol. 191, N°. 1-2, pages. 91-100, 6-2010
 Peter Sergeant, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

Implementation of tactile feedback by modifying the perceived friction

 The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics, Vol. 43, N°. 1, pages. 123-135, 7-2008
 Mélisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL   

Squeeze film effect for the design of an ultrasonic tactile plate

 IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonic, Ferroelectric and Frequency Control, Vol. 54, N°. 12, pages. 2678 - 2688, 12-2007
 Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL   

Dispositifs à frottement variable pour le retour tactile

Advances in the Development of a New Force-Feedback Tactile Device

 11th international conference on new actuators (ACTUATOR’08), 6-2008
 Frédéric GIRAUD, Mélisande Biet, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

Discrimination of Virtual Square Gratings by Dynamic Touch on Friction Based Tactile Displays

 Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems (part of IEEE-VR), pages. 41 - 48, 3-2008, 

Using an ultrasonic transducer: Evidence for an anisotropic deprivation of frictional cues in microtexture perception

 WorldHaptics, The Second Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environnment and Teleoperator Systems, pages. 385 - 390, 3-2007
 Melisande BIET, Loïc BOULON, François MARTINOT, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

NEW TACTILE DEVICES USING PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATORS

 Actuator, 6-2006
 Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

ANALYSE DU TOUCHER ET SIMULATION DE SURFACES FIBREUSES ANISOTROPES A L’AIDE D’UN EFFECTEUR : EXEMPLE DU VELOURS

 Journée Française de Tribologie, Albi (France), 5-2010
 Marie-Ange BUENO, Frédéric GIRAUD, R. BOCQUET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, M. TOURLONIAS, R.ROSSI, Michel AMBERG  

CONCEPTION D’UN STIMULATEUR TACTILE

 CESAM’07, ENSEEIHT, Toulouse, 6-7 Septembre 2007, 9-2007
 Frédéric GIRAUD, Melisande BIET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

Typologie des Technologies pour le Rendu Tactile

 Journée scientifique internationale IRCICA, Lille, 3-2004  

Touch analysis and tactile device design: an overview of STIMTAC project

 Virtual Concept Biarritz, 11-2005  

Patent n°WO2008116980 (A1), publication date 2008-10-02, BIET MELISANDRE, GIRAUD FREDERIC, LEMAIRE SEMAIL BETTY

Efficacité et robustesse aux distracteurs d’un retour tactile pour faciliter le pointage.

Power consumption reduction of a controlled friction Tactile Plate Eurohaptics 2010, Amsterdam, 7-2010

Analysis of a New Haptic Display Coupling Tactile and Kinesthetic Feedback to Render Texture and Shape"

 Tao ZENG, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, Michel AMBERG   

Geometrical optimization of an ultrasonic tactile plate for surface texture rendering, Sensors and Actuators: A Physical, Vol. 191, N°. 1-2, pages. 91-100, 6-2010, Peter Sergeant, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

Implementation of tactile feedback by modifying the perceived friction, The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics, Vol. 43, N°. 1, pages. 123-135, 7-2008 Mélisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

Squeeze film effect for the design of an ultrasonic tactile plate, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonic, Ferroelectric and Frequency Control, Vol. 54, N°. 12, pages. 2678 - 2688, 12-2007, Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

Dispositifs à frottement variable pour le retour tactile "

 Sciences et Technologies pour le Handicap, editions Hermes, Vol. 2, N°. 2, pages. 115-129, 1-2008  
 Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, Frédéric GIRAUD    

Advances in the Development of a New Force-Feedback Tactile Device 11th international conference on new actuators (ACTUATOR’08), 6-2008 Frédéric GIRAUD, Mélisande Biet, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

Discrimination of Virtual Square Gratings by Dynamic Touch on Friction Based Tactile Displays, Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems (part of IEEE-VR), pages. 41 - 48, 3-2008,

Using an ultrasonic transducer: Evidence for an anisotropic deprivation of frictional cues in microtexture perception, WorldHaptics, The Second Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environnment and Teleoperator Systems, pages. 385 - 390, 3-2007, Melisande BIET, Loïc BOULON, François MARTINOT, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

A Piezoelectric Tactile Display Using Travelling Lamb Wave, EUROHAPTICS 2006, pages. 567–570,, 7-2006,

NEW TACTILE DEVICES USING PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATORS Actuator, 6-2006, Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

ANALYSE DU TOUCHER ET SIMULATION DE SURFACES FIBREUSES ANISOTROPES A L’AIDE D’UN EFFECTEUR : EXEMPLE DU VELOURS, Journée Française de Tribologie, Albi (France), 5-2010, Marie-Ange BUENO, Frédéric GIRAUD, R. BOCQUET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, M. TOURLONIAS, R.ROSSI, Michel AMBERG

CONCEPTION D’UN STIMULATEUR TACTILE CESAM’07, ENSEEIHT, Toulouse, 6-7 Septembre 2007, 9-2007, Frédéric GIRAUD, Melisande BIET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

Typologie des Technologies pour le Rendu Tactile, Journée scientifique internationale IRCICA, Lille, 3-2004

Touch analysis and tactile device design: an overview of STIMTAC project, Virtual Concept Biarritz, 11-2005

Computer environments become richer of outstanding output devices; while visual or auditive devices are common, the use of force feedback is becoming more widespread and helps users to interact with computer applications. However, a specific stimulation of the finger pulp is not often provided by those interfaces yet. Touch felling is thus missing, so that there's a lack of realism and applications don't take profit of the tactile channel. So there's a need for a tactile stimulator sufficiently small to be laid next to a computer desktop, but sufficiently realistic to simulate different surface textures.

Patents [1] Patent n°WO2008116980 (A1), publication date 2008-10-02, BIET MELISANDRE, GIRAUD FREDERIC, LEMAIRE SEMAIL BETTY

Publications Type : Revue internationale avec comité de lecture

[1] Geometrical optimization of an ultrasonic tactile plate for surface texture rendering, Sensors and Actuators: A Physical, Vol. 191, N°. 1-2, pages. 91-100, 6-2010, Peter Sergeant, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[2] Implementation of tactile feedback by modifying the perceived friction, The European Physical Journal - Applied Physics, Vol. 43, N°. 1, pages. 123-135, 7-2008 Mélisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[3] Squeeze film effect for the design of an ultrasonic tactile plate, IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonic, Ferroelectric and Frequency Control, Vol. 54, N°. 12, pages. 2678 - 2688, 12-2007, Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[4] Dispositifs à frottement variable pour le retour tactile "

 Sciences et Technologies pour le Handicap, editions Hermes, Vol. 2, N°. 2, pages. 115-129, 1-2008  
 Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, Frédéric GIRAUD    

[5] Efficacité et robustesse aux distracteurs d’un retour tactile pour faciliter le pointage.

 22ième conférence sur l’interaction Homme-Machine (IHM 2010), ACM Press, pages. 25-32, 9-2010  
 Géry Casiez, Nicolas Roussel, Romuald Van Belleghem, Frédéric GIRAUD 

[6] Power consumption reduction of a controlled friction Tactile Plate Eurohaptics 2010, Amsterdam, 7-2010

 Frédéric GIRAUD, Michel Amberg, Romuald Vanbelleghem, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

[7] Analysis of a New Haptic Display Coupling Tactile and Kinesthetic Feedback to Render Texture and Shape"

 EuroHaptic2010, Vol. 6192, N°. 2, pages. 87-93, ISBN. 10.1007/978-3-642-14075-4_13, 7-2010,  
 Tao ZENG, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, Michel AMBERG  

[8] Advances in the Development of a New Force-Feedback Tactile Device 11th international conference on new actuators (ACTUATOR’08), 6-2008 Frédéric GIRAUD, Mélisande Biet, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[9] Discrimination of Virtual Square Gratings by Dynamic Touch on Friction Based Tactile Displays, Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Teleoperator Systems (part of IEEE-VR), pages. 41 - 48, 3-2008,

 Melisande BIET, Géry CASIEZ, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

[10] Using an ultrasonic transducer: Evidence for an anisotropic deprivation of frictional cues in microtexture perception, WorldHaptics, The Second Joint Eurohaptics Conference and Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environnment and Teleoperator Systems, pages. 385 - 390, 3-2007, Melisande BIET, Loïc BOULON, François MARTINOT, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[11] A Piezoelectric Tactile Display Using Travelling Lamb Wave, EUROHAPTICS 2006, pages. 567–570,, 7-2006,

 Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, François MARTINOT, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL  

[12] NEW TACTILE DEVICES USING PIEZOELECTRIC ACTUATORS Actuator, 6-2006, Melisande BIET, Frédéric GIRAUD, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[13] ANALYSE DU TOUCHER ET SIMULATION DE SURFACES FIBREUSES ANISOTROPES A L’AIDE D’UN EFFECTEUR : EXEMPLE DU VELOURS, Journée Française de Tribologie, Albi (France), 5-2010, Marie-Ange BUENO, Frédéric GIRAUD, R. BOCQUET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, M. TOURLONIAS, R.ROSSI, Michel AMBERG

[14] CONCEPTION D’UN STIMULATEUR TACTILE CESAM’07, ENSEEIHT, Toulouse, 6-7 Septembre 2007, 9-2007, Frédéric GIRAUD, Melisande BIET, Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL

[15] Typologie des Technologies pour le Rendu Tactile, Journée scientifique internationale IRCICA, Lille, 3-2004

 Frédéric GIRAUD, François MARTINOT

[16] Touch analysis and tactile device design: an overview of STIMTAC project, Virtual Concept Biarritz, 11-2005

 Betty LEMAIRE-SEMAIL, Fraçois Martinot, Frédéric GIRAUD, Patricia Plénacoste, Karim Talbi, CH. Chaillou, Ph. Pernod  

Stimtac is a touchPad like tactile display Computer environments become richer of outstanding output devices; while visual or auditive devices are common, the use of force feedback is becoming more widespread and helps users to interact with computer applications. However, a specific stimulation of the finger pulp is not often provided by those interfaces yet. Touch felling is thus missing, so that there's a lack of realism and applications don't take profit of the tactile channel. So there's a need for a tactile stimulator sufficiently small to be laid next to a computer desktop, but sufficiently realistic to simulate different surface textures.