Various embodiments of a wearable haptic and thermal feedback display system are disclosed herein. In particular, the system includes an array of vibrotactile actuators and thermal units affixed on a flexible casing that could be worn around the forearm. The collocated vibrotactile and thermal stimulations could enable richer haptic communication due to better control over the generated patterns. In addition, the device could be wirelessly controlled using a smartphone which further proves its applicability in long distance haptic communication

The present invention discloses an indoor Electronic Traveling Aid (ETA) system for blind and visually impaired (BVI) people. The system comprises a headband, intuitive tactile display with myographic (EMG) feedback, controller, and server-based methods corresponding to three operation modalities. In 1.sup.st modality, sighted users mark routes, map navigational directions, and create semantic comments for BVIs. This information of routes is continuously collected and estimated in ETA servers. In the 2.sup.nd modality, BVIs choose the routes from servers, thereby, are supplied with real-time navigational guidance. Also, an EMG interface is used, where the user's facial muscles are enabled is to send commands to the ETA system. In the 3.sup.rd modality, BVIs receive real-time audio guidance in complex or unforeseen situations: ETA provides a crowd-assisted interface and real-time sensory (e.g., video) data, where crowd-assistants analyze the situation and help the BVI to navigate.

A multimodal haptic feedback interface installed with a multimode haptic patch stimulates a skin area of a user to provide a haptic feedback including first and second haptic-feedback components to be sensed under static tactile sensing and dynamic tactile sensing, respectively. The patch is mounted with mechanical actuators, electrostimulation electrodes and thermoelectric pellets. The actuators generate a two-dimensional pattern of pressure on the skin area for generating the first haptic-feedback component. The electrostimulation electrodes electrically stimulates the skin area, causing the user to feel a vibration or pressure for generating the second haptic-feedback component. The actuators and electrostimulation electrodes are optimized only for static tactile sensing and dynamic tactile sensing, respectively, reducing an implementation cost while optimized for accuracy in haptic feedback generation. The thermoelectric pellets, realized as Peltier-effect heat pumps, generate a two-dimensional pattern of temperature change on the skin area for providing a thermal feedback to the user.

Systems, devices, media, and methods are presented for composing and sharing a message based on the motion of a handheld electronic device such as a ring. The methods in some implementations include presenting a keyboard on a display, collecting course data associated with a course traveled by the ring, and overlying a trace onto the keyboard, such that the trace is correlated in near real-time with the course traveled by the ring. In some implementations the display element is part of a portable device, such as the lens of an electronic eyewear device. Based on the course data relative to the key locations on the keyboard, the system identifies and presents candidate words to be included in a message.

According to some embodiments, a processor reads a force from a touch control. Hysteretic behavior is provided through at least three different actuation states and at least four different force threshold values, allowing user-friendly control of disparate actions through one touch interface with applications in volume control, photography, and user authentication. Other possibilities are shown and discussed.

A mute-able input device with keystroke tactile feedback includes: a plurality of keys, each including a tactile structure and a sound-generating structure for respectively generating operational tactile feedback and operating sounds; a plurality of adjusting mechanisms, each including an adjusting portion corresponding to one of the keys; at least one switching unit including an operating portion and a switch member, the operating portion connecting the switch member and the adjusting mechanism, the switch member generating a switching signal involving a mode switching between different tactile modes or different sound modes for one or more keys. When the operating portion moves in response to a force, the switch member is triggered to achieve the mode switching; meanwhile, the adjusting portion moves to interfere with at least one of the tactile structure or the sound-generating structure along with the movement of the operating portion.

Exercise-based watch faces and complications for use with a portable multifunction device are disclosed. The methods described herein for exercise-based watch faces and complications provide indications of time and affordances representing applications (e.g., a workout application or a weather application). In response to detecting a user input corresponding to a selection of the affordance (e.g., representing a workout application), a workout routine can optionally be begun. Further disclosed are non-transitory computer-readable storage media, systems, and devices configured to perform the methods described herein, as well as electronic devices related thereto.

Systems and methods are provided for influential control over a driver's hand(s) that grip a vehicle's steering wheel. Upon issuing an autonomous control signal to control motive operation of the vehicle, an autonomous control system of the vehicle may further reinforce the application of the autonomous control signal by inducing the driver's hand(s) to grip/increase grip strength on the vehicle's steering wheel or by releasing the grip/decreasing grip strength on the vehicle's steering wheel. Moreover, the increasing/decreasing of the driver's grip may alternatively, or in addition to the reinforcement aspect, induce augmentative or intervening action(s)/behavior(s) by the driver.

There is provided a pointing device including a mode switching apparatus that switches the pointing device between a two-dimensional (2D) operational mode and a three-dimensional (3D) operational mode and a sensor configured to determine a pointing direction of the pointing device and locations of a plurality of computing devices. When in the 2D operational mode, the pointing device is paired with a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices and controls the first computing device and when in the 3D operational mode, the pointing device is configured to select a second computing device of the plurality of computing devices additionally to control, the selection based on one or more of the pointing direction of the pointing device and the location of the second computing device.

Systems and methods of the present disclosure enable context-aware haptic error notifications. The systems and methods include a processor to receive input segments into a software application from a character input component and determine a destination. A context identification model predicts a context classification of the input segments based at least in part on the software application and the destination. Potential errors are determined in the input segments based on the context classification. An error characterization machine learning model determines an error type classification and an error severity score associated with each potential error and a haptic feedback pattern is determined for each potential error based on the error type classification and the error severity score of each potential error of the one or more potential errors. And a haptic event latency is determined based on the error type classification and the error severity score of each potential error.