SensAble Technologies
15 Constitution Way
Woburn, MA 01801
T: 781-937-8315
F: 781-937-8325
media@sensable.com
Woburn, MA, August 2, 2005 -SensAble Technologies, Inc. is pleased to announce the winners in the SensAble™ 3D Touch™ Developer Challenge:
- First - Arachi Simlab by Diego Ruspini, Kyong-Sok "K.C." Chang and Brett Rieder from Arachi, Inc.
- Second - HORUS (Haptic Operative Realistic Ultrasonography Simulator) by Clément Forest, Alexandre Hostettler and Luc Soler from IRCAD
- Third - Haptic Ball by Alexander Cave and Justin Quillinan from Deakin University
Honorable Mentions:
- The Cocktail Party Effect by Stephen Barrass and Chris Gunn
- KnotExplore by Hui Zhang, Andrew J. Hanson and Sidharth Thakur from Indiana University
- The Haptic Cell by Gail Jones, James Minogue, David Borland, and Russell M. Taylor II from North Carolina State University (NSCU) and University of North Carolina (UNC)
- Haptic Miniature Golf by Scott Gilroy and Damien Gerhardy
- Haptic Theremin by William "Pete" Moss and Bryan Cunitz from the University of Washington
The winning haptic applications ranged from virtual training for robotic system design and medical procedures, to games, to unique problem-solving applications combining haptics and sound. The winning entries illustrated innovation, creativity, and the potential to be commercial viable applications. A total of $22,500 in cash prizes will be awarded, with first, second, and third place winners receiving $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500 respectively, and five honorable mention winners receiving $1,000 each.
The Developer Challenge began at SIGGRAPH in August 2004. Developers worldwide were invited to compete to create commercially-oriented applications that took advantage of the SensAble OpenHaptics™ toolkit and PHANTOM® Omni™ haptic device. Since that time, over 1,000 OpenHaptics toolkits have been sold.
The 8 winners were chosen by a panel of experts representing the fields of graphics and haptics. The judges included:
- James D. Foley, founding Director of the GVU Center at Georgia Institute of Technology, and co-author of Fundamentals of Interactive Computer Graphics (with Andries van Dam) and of Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice (with van Dam, Steve Feiner and John Hughes).
- J. Kenneth Salisbury, Jr., well known for his seminal contributions in the fields of robotics and haptics, and currently a Professor in the departments of Computer Science and Surgery at Stanford University.
- Mandayam Srinivasan, internationally-known expert in haptics and founding Director of the Laboratory for Human and Machine Haptics: The Touch Lab at MIT.
Winning Applications
First - Arachi Simlab from Arachi, Inc. - This application enables students and instructors to learn about the design and control of robotic systems. The application showcases some of the core technologies being developed by Arachi, Inc. for a forthcoming product release. This application also represents the first step in a new field called "virtual prototyping" which enables the design, development, and testing of mechanical systems without the direct creation of a physical system.
Second - HORUS (Haptic Operative Realistic Ultrasonography Simulator) from IRCAD - HORUS is a new-generation medical simulator for the training and preparation of operations such as biopsy, puncture or radiofrequency, consisting of inserting a needle under ultrasonographic guidance. Two PHANTOM Omnis are used, the first one to control the position of the virtual ultrasonographic probe, the second one to control the virtual needle. Thus, HORUS renders the tactile sensations in real-time that a practitioner feels during a real intervention.
Third - Haptic Ball from Alex Cave and Justin Quillinan - Haptic Ball is a first-person multi-player sports game for up to 8 players. In addition to 3D sound and visuals, it adds the extra element of touch to sports gaming. It provides an immersive experience that allows real skill to enter the game, as players are able to feel the ball and manipulate and throw it with precision.
Honorable Mentions
The Cocktail Party Effect from Stephen Barrass and Chris Gunn - This application uses only touch and sound to convey the perception of an object-a cocktail glass. As a user moves the swizzle stick around, they hear conversations, music, and the auditory effects of physical contact with the glass. As they explore the sounds, a haptic impression of a curvy margarita glass is built up through touch contacts and 3D force effects.
KnotExplore from Andrew Hanson, Hui Zhang and Sidharth Thakur - This application is a novel, multi-modal haptic interface for sketching and exploring the geometric properties of knots in three dimensions. KnotExplore also supports the use of sound as an additional cue to help the user sense the traditional knot crossings without necessarily seeing them. This paradigm overcomes some of the limitations of traditional 2D knot-sketching methods by exploiting both touch and sound to assist in building clearer mental models of knot geometry and topology.
Haptic Cell from Gail Jones, James Minogue, David Borland, and Russell M. Taylor II from NCSU - Haptic Cell is a computer-based instructional program that provides an innovative and exciting way for students to interactively explore the structure and functioning of a typical animal cell. Using the PHANTOM® Omni™ device, students can actually feel the cell parts and forces associated with the functions of the cell membrane. This instructional program capitalizes on the PHANTOM® Omni device's unparalleled ability to provide bi-directional, simultaneous information exchange between the user and the device. This instruction is unlike other educational software programs, because it reaches kinesthetic as well as visual learners.
Haptic Miniature Golf from Scott Gilroy and Damien Gerhardy - This application is a miniature golf game for the PHANTOM Omni device. The game takes advantage of the HapticDynamicsManager library to give the user six degrees of freedom control (and 3 degrees of freedom feedback) of the golf club. The user can feel the weight of the club and feel it make contact with the ball or the course in a very realistic manner.
Haptic Theremin from William "Pete" Moss and Bryan Cunitz - This application is based on the idea of the Theremin, an instrument that is very difficult to play because the performer has no tactile interaction, but can only play by changing an inductive field around two antennas. The Haptic Theremin was built to solve problems with using virtual instruments that have no physical interface. By using the PHANTOM Omni device, we now have a haptic feedback device that can be programmed with physical constraints appropriate to a musical pitch space, and we can partially solve the limitations inherent in the Theremin.
See the OpenHaptics toolkit, PHANTOM Omni device, and the Developer Challenge top winning entries at SIGGRAPH®, August 2-4, 2005
SensAble will be demonstrating version 2.0 of the OpenHaptics toolkit with the PHANTOM Omni device at SIGGRAPH, August 2-4, 2005, Booth #1360 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Availability and Pricing
The OpenHaptics toolkit v2.0 for Windows® is now shipping. The version 2.0 toolkits for Linux® and Mac® platforms are scheduled to ship during Q3 2005. The OpenHaptics toolkit and PHANTOM Omni device are included in the PHANTOM Omni Developer Kit, which is priced at US MSRP $2,400. The commercial version of the OpenHaptics toolkit includes support for one operating system. SensAble customers who own a PHANTOM Omni device may purchase a software-only version of the OpenHaptics toolkit.
The OpenHaptics Academic Edition of the toolkit is now available at no charge to students and faculty associated with any academic institution worldwide that has purchased a SensAble PHANTOM® haptic device. The OpenHaptics Academic Edition includes special licensing that makes it easy for students and faculty to use the toolkit in classrooms, labs, and at home. Educational discounts are also available.
To purchase the PHANTOM Omni Developer Kit or for more information about the OpenHaptics Academic Edition, please contact us, or call +1-781-937-8315, or contact an authorized SensAble Haptic Devices and Toolkits Reseller listed at www.sensable.com.
About SensAble Technologies
SensAble Technologies is a leading provider of 3D touch-enabled digital solutions for product design, digital content creation and fine arts, commercial software development, and academic and commercial research. At the core of SensAble products is the PHANTOM line of haptic devices, which makes it possible for users to touch and manipulate virtual objects. SensAble offers the FreeForm systems for product design, the ClayTools systems for digital content creation and fine arts, and the broadest range of haptic devices and toolkits for haptic application development. SensAble maintains headquarters in the United States and a sales office in Japan. SensAble products are available through direct and reseller channels. Product and corporate information: www.sensable.com.
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© 2006 SensAble Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. ClayTools, FreeForm, FreeForm Modeling, OpenHaptics, PHANTOM, PHANTOM Omni, SensAble, and SensAble Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of SensAble Technologies, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
SensAble Technologies, Inc., 15 Constitution Way, Woburn, MA 01801
Tel: +1-781-937-8315 Fax: +1-781-937-8325 Web: www.sensable.com
