Human body active orthosis as haptic device for interaction in virtual environments

M. Tsveov, I. Veneva, D. Chakarov, D. Trifonov

Abstract: This work is focused on structure and design of an active orthosis for human body, working as a haptic device. Active orthosis is used for embodiment in immersive virtual reality (IVR) to give people the illusion that they have a different body. Proposed orthosis is capable to affect the whole human body. It is allowing human to perceive forces at different body parts or the weight of lifted objects. Methods of 3D modeling of human virtual body (avatar) as a component of the virtual reality are presented. A mechanical structure of the whole body orthosis with anthropomorphic workspace and a wearable structure is created in the paper. It is build up as a branched serial kinematics structure consisting of rotational joints kinematics equivalent to the joints in the human body. Whole body orthosis includes: exoskeleton for upper limbs as a haptic device; exoskeleton for the torso and lower limbs that will support the upper limbs and will sets of the virtual avatar movements in the waist and in the lower limbs as well as change of the position in the space. CAD design of the whole body orthosis is carried out, according to the created structure and estimated geometrical parameters of the human body.

Keywords: active orthosis; haptic device; virtual reality

Date published: 2015-06-09