Team 513 Virtual Reality Tracking and Haptic Feedback Gloves
F-16

Virtual Reality Tracking and Haptic Feedback Gloves

Abstract

The goal of our project is to make a pair of gloves for Lockheed Martin that allow for the user to train in a virtual reality Abrams tank. Active training units are large and costly, so using virtual reality lessens the cost and size of the training space. The gloves are usable with the Unity virtual reality game engine and HTC Vive virtual reality unit. The Vive unit consists of a headset to view the virtual world, and sensor boxes to track where the headset is. The gloves are easy to use, washable and allow for use with physical controls. The gloves are also strong and comfortable. The overall design has two main units. These units are tracking the gloves, and the response given by the gloves. To achieve the tracking a series of sensors find the hands. This moves through a Vive tracker to the computer to create a copy of the user's hands in the virtual world. The response unit lets the user know when they touch an object in the virtual space. The response is the result of motors placed on the fingers and palm of the hand. These motors vibrate when the user touches a virtual object to mimic the user’s sense of touch. This vibration lets them know they have touched something in the virtual space. This response allows the user to work with virtual controls from the sense of touch. The motors and sensors are placed on the gloves to not interfere with their touch. This lets the user work with real world controls and virtual controls at the same time. The gloves easily move from person to person to limit down time between switching to a new trainee.