Novel Interactive Techniques for Bimanual Manipulation of 3D Objects with Two 3DoF Haptic Interfaces

This paper presents a set of novel interactive techniques adapted to two-handed manipulation of objects with dual 3DoF single-point haptic devices. We first propose the double bubble for bimanual haptic exploration of virtual environments through hybrid position/rate controls, and a bimanual viewport adaptation method that keeps both proxies on screen in large environments. We also present two bimanual haptic manipulation techniques that facilitate pick-and-place tasks: the joint control, which forces common control modes and control/display ratios for two interfaces grabbing an object, and the magnetic pinch, which simulates a magnet-like attraction between both hands to prevent unwanted drops of that object. An experiment was conducted to assess the efficiency of these techniques for pick-and-place tasks, by comparing the double bubble with viewport adaptation to the clutching technique for extending the workspaces, and by measuring the benefits of the joint control and magnetic pinch.