Robot

Engineering

Biomedical engineering

Soft robotics

Actuator

Computer science

Piezoelectric sensor

Virtual reality

Mechanical engineering

Pneumatic actuator

Virtual image

Simulation

Artificial intelligence

Tactile sensor

Pneumatics

Piezoelectricity

Wired glove

Human–computer interaction

Electrical engineering

Scientific Reports

The desire to directly touch and experience virtual objects led to the development of a tactile feedback device. In this paper, a novel soft pneumatic actuator for providing tactile feedback is proposed and demonstrated. The suggested pneumatic actuator does not use an external air compressor but it is operated by internal air pressure generated by an electrostatic force. By using the actuator, we designed a glove to interact with virtual reality. The finger motions are detected by attached flexible piezoelectric sensors and transmitted to a virtual space through Bluetooth for interconnecting with a virtual hand. When the virtual finger touches the virtual object, the actuators are activated and give the tactile feedback to the real fingertip. The glove is made of silicone rubber material and integrated with the sensors and actuators such that users can wear them conveniently with light weight. This device was tested in a virtual chess board program, wherein the user picked up virtual chess pieces successfully.

Pneumatic actuator and flexible piezoelectric sensor for soft virtual reality glove system