Wearable Haptic Sleeve Interface for Spaceflight Robotic Arm Operations
Project Leads:
BEARLab, Center for Spaceflight Research, WearLab
This study explored the development and testing of a wearable haptic interface to address the challenge of information overload during spacecraft robotic arm operations. Operators currently rely heavily on visual displays to monitor critical parameters like trajectory and velocity, which can lead to cognitive overload and reduced situational awareness during complex manipulation tasks.
We developed a sleeve-based haptic device worn on the forearm that uses tactile stroke illusions—the sensation of vibration moving across the skin—to communicate end-effector movement information through touch. The system employs an array of vibration actuators activated in timed sequences, offloading information from the visual channel to the tactile modality.