Multi-Force Ergonomic Haptic Interaction-enabled Virtual Well Deck Operations Trainer

Current VR/AR training simulators are limited by primarily relying on audio/visual senses to immerse users. Additionally, legacy simulators need far too much build and sustainment costs to equal the achieved immersion felt with Multi-Force Ergonomic Haptics integrated in lightweight COTS simulators. Alternative to other options, Contact CI can simulate the sense of touch through an advanced mechanical and electrical system, ergonomic wearable design, and innovations for synchronizing the full-stack of software, all while comfortably worn on the hands of VR/AR trainees. Contact CI provides this more intuitive Human-Machine Interface through the use of a haptic wearable (a light-weight multi-sensory device) that simulates the sense enabling users to feel the artificial objects they are interacting with during VR/AR experiences. The virtual well deck, as much as possible, via the benefits of these Haptic Human-Machine Interfaces, will replicate the material and working conditions of an L-Class ship to prepare individuals and crews for the hands-on skills required of them during upcoming live shipboard operations. Execution of this effort would lead to training simulators with haptic interactions at the center of the Human-Machine Interface development. To accomplish this Contact CI has built a Software Development Kit for integrating with new and previously created VR/AR Simulation Training content.  Contact CI’s technology can be easily adapted and tailored to meet the growing dual-use needs of this specific Navy application, similar to work done thus far with DoD customers such as AFLCMC’s Simulators Innovation Team during which a survey resulted in 100% of the USAF users reporting as “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with Maestro haptic gloves and interactions produced under that SBIR contract. Additionally, Ryan Arflin, as a USAF WR-ALC Training Administrator, had this to say about the haptic solutions and their overall potential:  “While a range of low fidelity part-task trainers can be efficient with gaze or controller interactions, a significant amount of hands-on tasks [...] require a compelling tactile feedback for muscle memory of the mission that needs to be achieved. After our VR lab explored a vibration only haptic solution it was disregarded as not passing the threshold of usefulness or robustness for the use cases. Once I first demoed the Contact CI haptics with their light-weight but durable form creating a high fidelity feedback, I was immediately excited and interested by what it offered for us. [...] Especially when compared to other options [...] with higher cost offerings that were shown to be too cumbersome, user restrictive, bulky for the wearer, and thus bottlenecking the skill transfer needs… With Contact CI’s haptics proving to fit in that goldilocks zone that enables a useful sense of touch in VR it was a no-brainer for me that Contact CI was the option ready to fill our haptic VR training needs.”