Haptics: perception and technology (TU/e)

This course consists of two parts that are closely linked, but traditionally not combined within a single course.
On the one hand, knowledge about human haptic perception is important to understand how haptic information could be used in controlling devices. On the other hand, knowledge about the operation / regulation of these devices is important to understand potential bottlenecks. One half of the course will focus on human perception, the other half on technical applications.

During the course, there are two assignments, one that is focused on human perception and one that focuses on force feedback and the associated control technique. Both assignments are accompanied with compulsory practicals to get some hands-on experience.

This course focusses on haptics, both on human haptic perception as on haptic technology.

After this course the student is able to:

  • comprehend basic concepts of human haptic perception and to give examples of what a can human perceive haptically and what kind of information can be transferred haptically;
  • apply psychophysical methods to measure and analyse human haptic perception;
  • give examples of haptic feedback technology and compare their functions and limitations for different applications;
  • evaluate the influences of the human operator and the environment on stability and how the designs of, for example, teleoperation systems are influenced by human perceptual properties;
  • combine knowledge on haptic perception and haptic technologies to design real applications;
  • translate and discuss information from recent academic publications to a haptic design;
  • present and defend this design, both orally and in writing;