Issue of
August 11, 1999

The haptic interface is a new device that allows operators to interact with computer simulations in three dimensions. It is pictured below to the right of the computer screen. When users slip a finger into a sleeve, they can move a small ball on the screen inward and outward as well as up and down and back and forth. If they encounter a virtual object on the screen, like one of the rocket ships in the video above, they can "feel" it because the interface resists further movement much as it had encountered a physical object. Operators also can move the rocket ships by pushing on them with the ball. Another demonstration of the haptic interface is the crank at the beginning of this article.

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