HaptiYarn Development of an actuator yarn that can transform everyday
textiles into haptic devices
Abstract
A method of providing discreet localised haptic feedback at precise
locations on the body, utilising a lightweight textile garment is
presented in this short paper. The textile comprises of subtly
integrated actuator yarns (HaptiYarns) which are controlled by
electropneumatic circuitry. Each yarn has two functional layers, an
inner porous textile layer with limited extensibility and a second,
durable outer layer made from an extensible elastomer. The HaptiYarns
can provide radial forces and a maximum radial displacement of 28.09 ±
0.14 mm. It was found that the intrinsic addition of graphite powder
(5% by weight), during elastomer preparation, offered better resistance
to layer delamination and increased the ability of the yarn to withstand
higher internal air pressures by 48%. Both the graphite-filled
composite and the graphite free yarns demonstrated high durability,
withstanding cyclic testing of >7500 cycles while having no
significant impact on the force feedback. Finally, a wearable prototype
knitted textile garment is presented with eight HaptiYarns subtly
integrated within it and connected to a virtual reality (VR) program
providing an immersive haptic experience. These yarns offer the
potential to transform everyday clothing into wearable haptic devices
with potential to revolutionise healthcare, VR-based training, gaming,
and entertainment sectors