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PhantomFlow: Hand-penetrating Sensation using Dual-Sided Vibrotactile Arrays

Course: [ME683] Human Robot Interaction (KAIST)
Role: Developer
Stack: Haptic Rendering, Unity, Teensy, Serial Communication

Abstract

PhantomFlow is a wearable haptic interface that investigates the perception of fluid penetrating through the hand using dual-sided vibrotactile stimulation. The device consists of symmetrically aligned linear resonant actuator arrays placed on the palmar and dorsal surfaces of the hand. A real-time rendering pipeline implemented in Unity converts simulated fluid–hand collisions into spatially and temporally coordinated vibration patterns. Complementary amplitude profiles are applied to opposing actuator pairs to produce a continuous sensation transitioning from one side of the hand to the other, while distributed activation supports the rendering of multiple droplets and varying fluid intensities. Haptic commands are transmitted to a Teensy 4.0 controller, which independently drives eight actuators through PWM-based control. The resulting prototype provides a hardware and software framework for exploring depth-oriented phantom tactile sensations and interactive fluid-based haptic experiences.