Codemonkeys, help me work up software that uses a haptics device.

September 27, 2004 4:11 PM

I have a 7 month long software design project to do (with 5 other geeks) that will be using a haptics device in this lab. The project seems to be pretty wide open, however, we bring limited skills to to table (i.e. we need to learn OpenGL or some other graphics API on the fly) and have a very narrow window for coding after doing all the design documentation. Does anybody have a any good ideas that would involve 3D represention and tactile feedback using a gimbled stylus?
posted by srboisvert to computers & internet (5 comments total)

A 3d modeller based on a sculptural analogy, so that you could have commands like "chip", "smooth", "stretch", "add material", etc.
If you could get it to talk with any high-end surface modellers, like Catia or something, you'd be golden.
It might even be a plugin for some pre-existing modeller.
posted by signal at 7:03 PM on September 27, 2004

Or, a 3d-painter with tactile feedback, so you could paint 3d models by hand, with assorted brushes, filters, etc. It could also be a plugin for an existing app or a post-production tool like Piranesi.
posted by signal at 7:20 PM on September 27, 2004

You could make a 3D irritating stick clone.

1. Generate small 3D maze and project
2. vibrate the stick if the player touches a wall

Both of signal's suggestions could be readily commercialized after you graduate.
posted by b1tr0t at 8:57 PM on September 27, 2004

you might read richard power's book plowing in the dark for a little lesiure-time inspiration.

i suspect a team of several people would be better working towards something fairly well-defined, but if you're very close, or have strong leadership, you could consider some kind of experimental interactive art. i have no idea what, but you can skim through what other people are doing (in 2D) on the 'net and get inspiration there.

otherwise you might think about how you could parse a language that consists of movements in 3d space. you could start with the kind of basic gesture stuff that's becoming common, and look at how to construct phrases. what's the relationship between gesture and grammar? i have no idea...

or, if you're smalltalk people, try talking to the croquet project. i bet they'd love a haptic interface and that would be amazingly cool.

all these are very close to my own interests because that's where it's easiest to see what might be possible. but getting incestuously close, you might look at a 3D analogue for functional images. functional structures?
posted by andrew cooke at 6:02 AM on September 28, 2004

on the art front, maybe you split the time 50% group work on on a toolkit and 50% on individual projects using that toolkit.
posted by andrew cooke at 6:04 AM on September 28, 2004