One reason that fans prefer mechanical keyboards over membrane alternatives is that mechanical key switches provide a very noticeable tactile sensation at the moment a key press registers. Whether consciously or not, users notice that and stop pressing the key all the way through the maximum travel — reducing strain and RSI potential. Developed by researchers at KAIST’s HCI Tech Lab, UltraBoard is a novel wearable that provides similar tactile feedback while typing in virtual reality.
UltraBoard’s designers wanted a device suitable for VR typing that would provide on-demand haptic feedback sensations, without complicated physical actuators. They achieved that with an array of ultrasonic transducers that produce strong soundwaves that the user can feel, but not hear. That array sits below the hand and can project localized soundwaves targeting specific points. So, typing the letter “A” on a virtual reality keyboard would cause the transducer array to blast soundwaves at the tip of the pinky finger.
An UltraBoard straps on to each of the user’s wrists and a servo motor near the strap tilts the transducer array to match the wrist angle, ensuring that the array is always directly underneath the user’s hand.
The prototype UltraBoard device uses both an Arduino Mega 2560 and an Arduino Micro board. They share duties, with the Micro controlling the servo motor and the transducer board, while the Mega controls an Ultraino driver board. They follow commands from a connected PC, which runs the virtual reality software that the user interacts with through a virtual reality headset.
The results of testing were mixed, but UltraBoard didn’t appear to provide a statistically significant improvement to typing speed. Even so, the concept is interesting and further testing may reveal other benefits, such as a more comfortable typing experience.
Image credit: C. Park et al.
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