User wearing device on calf walking through different fluid and weight environments in VR
Weighted Walking: Propeller-based On-leg Force Simulation of Walking in Fluid Materials in VR, developed by a research team at City University of Hong Kong, provides buoyancy and resistance feedback to the user's lower limbs while walking. It is a calf-mounted wearable device equipped with a ducted fan. It can simulate the viscosity of walking in fluids such as rivers and mud, as well as different gravitational environments on other planets. [Image] Structural drawing and appearance of the system The system consists of a kerf sleeve device equipped with a ducted fan, a 3D-printed frame, and connecting parts. Two types of ducted fans are installed on the side of the base frame, one that generates upward airflow, and the other that generates downward airflow on the back. The ducted fan uses a high power ducted fan with 12 propellers and a 2300KV brushless motor. Each ducted fan can generate a maximum force of 22.4N (2.24kg) at a drive current of 65A. A sponge is placed inside the body to reduce vibration and provide a comfortable fit. The control system implements a calculation model that corresponds to the force generated by the fan and the drive current. We controlled the drive current of the ESC (Electronic Speed-Controller) board from 0 to 65A in 5A steps, measured the force level/strength, and built a linear regression model to predict the force generated based on the current. It mainly considers the joint force that can be calculated from buoyancy and resistance when walking, and controls two ducted fans mounted on each leg. By recording the position and speed of the user's feet while walking in place, the system can adjust the strength and direction of the airflow in real time, simulating different types and levels of force. For example, a ducted fan generates powerful thrust to simulate the forces (buoyancy and fluid resistance) that occur when the user's lower limbs move through various fluids and substances (water, mud, etc.). It also simulates walking in environments with different gravitational forces, such as walking on another planet. Source and Image Credits: Pingchuan Ke, Shaoyu Cai, Lantian Xu, and Kening Zhu. 2021. Weighted Walking: Propeller-based On-leg Force Simulation of Walking in Fluid Materials in VR. In SIGGRAPH Asia 2021 Emerging Technologies (SA '21 Emerging Technologies). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 19, 1-2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3476122.3484842 *Presiding over web media "Seamless" that introduces the latest research in technology Written by Hiroki Yamashita. Mr. Yamashita picks up highly novel scientific papers and explains them.
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