2015-geltouch.html

---
layout: publication
year: 2015
month: 10
selected: false
hidden: false
external : false
link: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2807442.2807487
pdf: https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2807442.2807487
title: "GelTouch: Localized Tactile Feedback Through Thin, Programmable Gel"
authors:
  - Viktor Miruchna
  - Robert Walter
  - David Lindlbauer
  - Maren Lehmann
  - Regine von Klitzing
  - Jörg Müller
# blog: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/manipulating-space-time-mixed-reality/
doi: 10.1145/2807442.2807487
venue_location: Charlotte, NC, USA
venue_url: https://uist.acm.org/uist2015/
venue_tags:
  - UIST
type:
  - Conference
tags:
  - Science
  - Haptics
  - Hydrogel
venue: UIST
awards: Best Paper Honorable Mention Award

video-thumb: o8W6qbwPhwU
video-30sec: o8W6qbwPhwU
video-suppl: C40bl9qmLV0
# video-talk-5min: ...
video-talk-15min: FQeS6ASPnh4

bibtex: "@inproceedings{10.1145/2807442.2807487,\n
author = {Miruchna, Viktor and Walter, Robert and Lindlbauer, David and Lehmann, Maren and von Klitzing, Regine and M\"{u}ller, J\"{o}rg},\n
title = {GelTouch: Localized Tactile Feedback Through Thin, Programmable Gel},\n
year = {2015},\n
isbn = {9781450337793},\n
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},\n
address = {New York, NY, USA},\n
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/2807442.2807487},\n
doi = {10.1145/2807442.2807487},\n
booktitle = {Proceedings of the 28th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software & Technology},\n
pages = {3–10},\n
numpages = {8},\n
keywords = {thermoresponsive hydrogel, tactile feedback},\n
location = {Charlotte, NC, USA},\n
series = {UIST '15}\n
}"
---

We present GelTouch, a gel-based layer that can selectively transition between soft and stiff to provide tactile multi-touch feedback. It is flexible, transparent when not activated, and contains no mechanical, electromagnetic, or hydraulic components, resulting in a compact form factor (a 2mm thin touchscreen layer for our prototype). The activated areas can be morphed freely and continuously, without being limited to fixed, predefined shapes. GelTouch consists of a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) gel layer which alters its viscoelasticity when activated by applying heat (>32 C). We present three different activation techniques: 1) Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) as a heating element that enables tactile feedback through individually addressable taxels; 2) predefined tactile areas of engraved ITO, that can be layered and combined; 3) complex arrangements of resistance wire that create thin tactile edges. We present a tablet with 6x4 tactile areas, enabling a tactile numpad, slider, and thumbstick. We show that the gel is up to 25 times stiffer when activated and that users detect tactile features reliably (94.8%).