CAREER: Closing the Loop of Human-Machine Interactions via Skin-Like Multimodal Haptic Interfaces

Haptic perception is essential for all human actions, which helps humans explore, understand, and interact with the surrounding environment. When interacting with smart machines, such as robots, prosthetics, computers, or even virtual environments, such haptic feedback is crucial for efficient human-machine interactions. Remarkable progress has been made in developing skin-like sensors for users to control machines and for machines to learn about their surrounding environment. However, skin-compatible haptic feedback from machines to users is largely unexplored. This project seeks to develop haptic interfaces that can produce haptic cues compatible with the sensing capabilities and mechanical properties of the skin. The proposed skin-like multimodal haptic interface represents a significant opportunity to enable bilateral machine control. The resulting closed-loop human-machine interface is the enabling technology that can impact a wide range of applications, including robotics, prosthetics, teleoperation, smart manufacturing, entertainment, medical/military training, and virtual reality (VR)/augmented reality (AR). The haptic interface can also benefit individuals with hearing and visual impairments by encoding and representing information using haptic feedback. The integrated research and educational activities will inspire and educate a diverse group of students in the fields of haptic devices and nanotechnology. Through team-based research activities, workshops, open house activities, and research mentoring, the project will strengthen students’ skillset development and advance their pursuit of STEM careers. The educational and outreach activities will engage broad groups and students of all ages. The research objective of this CAREER proposal is to explore the interplay between functional materials, structural design, as well as integration strategies to realize haptic devices that can match the functional and mechanical characteristics of the skin for enhanced haptic sensations. Three research thrusts are proposed: (1) High-performance soft actuators to generate mechano-haptic sensations. (2) Robust heating/cooling devices to generate thermo-haptic sensations. (3) Integration of both modalities for skin-like multimodal haptic interfaces. The educational objective of this CAREER proposal is to disseminate research discoveries in wearable haptics and nanomaterials to promote STEM fields, and to equip the next generation workforce with skillsets to advance these emerging fields. The PI will conduct the following educational activities: (1) Mentor a multidisciplinary Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team to strengthen students’ soft skills in addition to technical skills. (2) Develop a workshop for Mater Teachers to enhance teachers’ STEM knowledge. These emerging technologies will then be communicated more broadly to students when teachers integrate them into the curriculum. (3) Host research open houses and provide research opportunities for a broad group of students to stimulate interest. The proposed work will yield new knowledge about the rational design of haptic interfaces to realize efficient feedback sensations through the skin. Completion of the proposed research will lay the ground for closed-loop human-machine interfaces and pave the way for applications involving interactions between users and machines. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.